Stormy Weather
by Cynthia and Emerald J
Summary: A Christmas encounter begins a romance for Hermione with none other than Draco Malfoy. Non OOTPcompatible. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

_**Legal Disclaimer:** JK Rowling owns Harry Potter and everything related to him, friends, enemies, random strangers on the street...we're just a pair of authors trying to have some fun. And we did! _

**Cynthia's Author Note:** This isn't really OOTP-compatible, because we started it before OOTP was released. We finished it after that, but by then we were already so far along that reworking it would've taken us about five or six years. So, there are things here that a lot of people might call out of character. If you can't see Draco or the Malfoys as even the slightest bit good and/or don't want to see the Trio fighting or disagreeing over things like that, this probably isn't the fic for you. I'm not quite as attached to this pairing as my co-author is, but I like challenges, and this was a good one for me. 

**Chapter One  
by: Cynthia and Emerald J**

A single star shone in the soft blue sky that arched over Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hermione hardly noticed it however, any more than she noticed the slightly annoying stick poking into the small of her back as she leaned against the broad-branched tree she was currently underneath. There were other things on her mind that felt a lot more important: such as the blazing row she'd had with her now former boyfriend Ron Weasley before Christmas break had started. 

_I can't believe he did something like that._ The sting hadn't faded appreciably since the actual event, and she wasn't all that certain that it was going to any time soon. The bushy-haired seventh year sighed just a little bit. Gryffindor Tower had felt so empty and lonely since she was the only one of their House who had stayed over this year. It would have been nice to go home, and she'd really _wanted_ to, but...well, there was no use in wasting time thinking about _that_. She couldn't do anything about it, and worrying over it didn't really change anything. 

She was glad that Ron, Harry, and Ginny had went to the Burrow for the holidays, though. Things might be quiet, but it gave her a chance to think without everyone else around. _I wonder where Crookshanks is. Probably off chasing mice somewhere._ It might've been nice to have him to talk to. He might not be able to talk back, but her squashed-face cat always listened, even more so than the usual cat did. 

The whoosh of a broomstick going by caught her attention, and she turned slightly to watch the flyer. She knew who it had to be; there was only one other person other than a few teachers here at the moment. It was the one, the only (and many people were grateful for that), Draco Malfoy. 

_He really flies well._ Hermione cheered for Gryffindor no matter what in Quidditch, but she'd never really paid that much attention to how anyone flew outside of class or a game, and during games, her attention was always on her own House team, not what tricks the Slytherins were up to. But now that she had the time, it was impossible to deny that the slender frost-haired young man had a lot of talent. 

"Enjoying the view, Mudblood?" Hermione jumped just a little at the sudden voice, and realized that he was hovering right in front of her, staring down with that ever-present Malfoy sneer. 

_Stuck up snob._ One of her personal favorite memories was of almost slapping that smirk right off of his face when they were younger. If he kept taunting her, she was more than glad to give him a repeat performance, too. But she wasn't going to let him get to her if she could avoid it. _That just makes him do it more._ She kept her gaze on the glistening stars, more of which had emerged while she'd been distracted. "The stars are beautiful tonight." She flicked her eyes back at him calmly. "Why, did you think I was looking at _you_?" 

He shrugged casually. "Why shouldn't you be?" The way he said it clearly spelled out that he expected people to be looking at him. She had to admit he was kind of striking, all pale and slender, like a birchwood tree or a ghost. Only alive. 

"You've got a really good opinion of yourself, did anyone ever tell you that?" Hermione asked tartly. "If you were as big as your ego, you'd be ten times the size of Hogwarts!" 

Malfoy's chuckle should be outlawed. That was how superior and smug it sounded every time he did it. "I deserve every inch of that ego, too. I _am_ the best there is...at everything." He was never going to let anyone in Gryffindor live down the fact that Slytherin had won the Quidditch Cup in their sixth year due primarily to his own efforts in the last match against Gryffindor. He'd been strutting around Hogwarts ever since, even ignoring the fact that the House of the Lion had won the House Cup overall. 

"Is there something you want?" Hermione was getting just a little bored with him and his attitude. There wasn't really enough space for all three of them right here anyway. 

He eyed her for a moment, quite obviously checking her out, and she felt a faint shiver going down her spine at the cool regard in those pale gray eyes. Ron had never looked at her like that, nor had anyone else. _I wonder what he's thinking about...and why he's doing that._ She refused to let the nervousness show, however. It was like facing up to a hippogriff. If you showed your fear, it would savage you horribly. "Enjoying the view?" She drawled out in an almost perfect imitation of his own question. She wondered briefly if her decision to wear the jeans and sweater her cousin had sent her had been a wise one. It was warmer than normal for the time of year, and with hardly anyone else being around, it had _seemed_ like a good idea. But now with Draco Malfoy very obviously appreciating the view given by the tight clothes, she wondered if she'd made the right choice. 

"I've seen better," he finally replied. "But you _have_ been trying to clean yourself up some." 

She leaned back a little, wriggling her shoulders until she found a comfortable spot against the tree. "I'll take that as a compliment." 

"And if I didn't mean it that way?" He responded quickly and easily, a challenge floating in those gray eyes, one that she couldn't quite read. 

"Then I'd be insulted." 

He rolled his eyes a little. "Always one or the other with you, isn't it?" The way his comments ran, that was almost polite. It also got her a little wary. Whenever he seemed to be acting nice, there was an ulterior motive, and usually one that would get anyone wearing red and gold in trouble. He watched her for a moment, then continued. "I heard that you and the Weasel broke up. Of course, I think all of Hogwarts and half of Hogsmeade heard it. You two _were_ rather noisy." 

This wasn't the way she wanted the conversation to go. _Actually, I don't want it to go at all. Why am I even talking to him?_ The answer was pretty simple really, even if she refused to let her mind actively think it. She wanted to talk to someone, and no one else was there. "He's an idiot." 

"I could've told you that." Malfoy snorted quite inelegantly. "And I think I have, frequently." 

She stared briefly down at the ground, the memory of that fight replaying in her mind incessantly. "I wish I'd listened." Oh, she had _not_ just said that. She had _not_ just said that she wished she'd listened to _Draco Malfoy_! 

"That's the kind of mistake you make when you're...you." Malfoy's voice acquired a kind of purring tone to it, slightly more amusing than his usual drawl. Some tiny part of her whispered that it was fairly nice to listen to, and he did seem to be insulting her less. Of course he could just be saving them up for something special. 

"Anyone could make that mistake!" She flared briefly at him, and he just grinned smugly, his snow-white teeth flashing in the almost gone sunlight. 

"I didn't." He eyed her again, something obviously going through his mind. She wished for a moment it were legal to use mind-reading spells on fellow students. Whatever he was thinking about, it couldn't be good for her. "Hm...no, you wouldn't be interested. You're too much of a 'good girl'." The way he said the last two words held all the contempt and mockery he'd always used for 'Mudblood'. 

Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly. "What are you talking about?" 

"I don't think you really want to know." He drawled casually. She knew he was just toying with her, wanting to make her ask more, maybe even beg to know, that would be like him. "It's really far too hard for someone like _you_, all honor and honesty and such. Besides...I don't think you _really_ want to get back at him." 

Everything around her seemed to freeze suddenly. She cast a quick look around just to make certain the world hadn't stopped moving somehow, then looked back at him. "You've piqued my curiosity." That was as close to begging as she'd ever come with _him_. "So just what are you talking about? Getting back at _who_?" 

Malfoy sniffed almost politely. "And _you're_ the smartest witch in our year? What were we just talking about, Granger? I think it was pretty obvious." He dismounted his broomstick and strolled a little closer to her, his pale eyes never leaving her. She sat where she was, not entirely certain of what was going on, but of all the myriad of thoughts that wandered about in her brain, she had _never_ thought of what actually happened. 

Draco Malfoy kissed her. 

For a single heartbeat she simply sat there in shock, then started to return it, her instincts overriding her common sense. _He's...gentle...not like Ron...sloppy kisser..._

As they pulled apart, he looked calmly at her, as if he did this sort of thing every day. She was almost certain she'd moaned somewhere in there, but if she had, he wasn't going to comment on it. "Well?" His tone was still calm and unruffled. _This must be why people call him the Prince of Ice._ She couldn't remember ever really seeing him loose his cool. Be upset, yes, but he was always _calmly_ upset, never wildly angry or anything like that, and that had only become more frequent as they'd gotten older. "I can't think of any _better_ way to get revenge than to be my girlfriend." 

"Why are you even asking me this anyway?" Hermione grabbed for the first question that passed her mind that made sense. She couldn't believe how much she'd _enjoyed_ that kiss. It wasn't blazing fiery passion or sloppy first times or anything like that...it just...was. And something in that simplicity made her want more of it. "You hate Mudbloods, you hate _me_!" 

He shrugged casually. "I need someone to get my parents off my back, and there's no one around here who has the necessary IQ points _and_ blood, so I have to go with what I do have." 

"And you don't want to be in a real relationship, do you?" She challenged. She knew he'd dated Pansy Parkinson a couple of times in the last few years, but as far as she knew, it had never been anything more than convenience. Not that she listened to Parvati and Lavender gossiping after lights out or anything. 

He raised one elegantly carved ice-white eyebrow. "A 'real' relationship?" She couldn't remember if she'd ever seen a look on his face that was so purely condescending. _You'd think I'd asked him to serve me a hamburger or something like that, something so beneath his Grand Pureblood Dignity._

"I meant that you didn't want to look for a real girlfriend instead of a 'revenge' relationship." Hermione clarified. This wasn't exactly what _she'd_ been looking for in her next situation, but it wasn't as if he were offering her true love and a happily ever after. He'd probably laugh in her face if she even mentioned it. 

"Does it matter?" The casual nature of the question said quite plainly that he didn't think it did. 

Well, that was perfectly fine with her. "Not really. So how long should this last? Until spring break?" At the very least it would give her something to keep her mind off her mother's problems. 

"Long enough to keep my parents off my back until I find someone who _is_ suitable." Malfoy told her. "This isn't going to be permanent, Granger. This is just...convenience for us both. Got it?" 

She'd never expected anything else from him. If she were to be fully honest, she hadn't even expected this from him. "Do you think everyone is going to believe it, though?" 

"Exactly how much does someone else's opinion matter?" Malfoy wondered. She wondered just how he was able to keep any friends with that attitude. Then again, maybe he didn't. He'd never seemed to have anyone around regularly except Crabbe and Goyle, and they'd never struck her as all that bright anyway. 

"Well, it wouldn't be revenge if Ron and Harry don't believe that this is a real relationship." Hermione reminded him. "I want Ron to _suffer_ most of all for what he did." For one moment she still seemed to be standing there, seeing Ron and seeing _her_, clinched together, all over again. It wasn't really getting any better no matter how many times she remembered it. 

"Then we'll make them believe it." Draco's confident grin was every bit as scary as his usual smirks. He sat down beside her, not ever taking his eyes away from her face. She couldn't really be certain which made her more nervous, the fact he was sitting beside her or the fact he just never stopped looking at her. 

"I've never done this sort of thing before," she admitted. He chuckled softly. 

"It's not hard." 

The next words were even more hard to get out than the acceptance of the deal. "If I make any mistakes...tell me?" The thought of having to wait for _him_ to tell her she'd screwed up on _anything_ was absolutely abhorrent. She made a note to research just what went into sham relationships and how to pull them off successfully. "We have the rest of the week before anyone comes back to talk about this, and tomorrow I'm going into Hogsmeade with Professor McGonnagal so I'd better head to bed. See you around." 

Hermione got up, then glanced back as her hand was caught by his. He pulled her down a little and kissed her once more, his tongue prodding lightly at her lips. She returned the kiss with a touch more enthusiasm this time, knowing what he wanted. They'd have to do this a lot in public for everyone to believe it, so the best thing to do was to get in a lot of practice. She deepened it just a little, and was surprised to notice that this close, she could actually see a little emotion in his eyes. _I think he's getting a little weak in the knees._ She mentally grinned, then pulled away. "Good night." 

She headed back inside the castle, aware that he was still standing there, and smiled to herself. Maybe this sham relationship wasn't such a bad idea after all. _I really do need to get some rest tonight. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day._ She almost didn't notice Professor McGonnagal coming down the hall towards her until the last second. "Hello, Professor!" Something occured to her and McGonnagal was the only person she could ask about it. 

"Hello, Miss Granger." The Transfiguration teacher glanced at her with a polite, firm smile. Hermione had learned over the years that the tall, thin witch had a truly soft heart, and she had an idea that she would be just as upset with Ron as she herself was if all the facts were told. "Is there something you needed?" 

"I was wondering, while we're in Hogsmeade tomorrow, is there any place that I could get my hair cut at." She touched the bushy pile on top of her head in slight irritation. She'd been itching to get it taken care of for months now, but Ron had always said he'd liked it just the way it was, the way it had been when they'd first met each other. Just maybe it was a time for a change for _that_ too. 

McGonnagal nodded brusquely. "There are some wizarding salons that could do it, if you have the gold." She had been quite firm that though she was providing transportation and an adult presence, anything that Hermione wanted she was going to have to get for herself. 

"I do." Hermione saved every scrap of wizard gold she could get her hands on, and exchanged a lot of her birthday and Christmas money that her Muggle relatives sent for Galleons. It made life in her chosen world _so_ much easier. "Thanks. Good night, professor." 

"Good night, Miss Granger. I'll see you in the morning." The professor headed on her way, and Hermione headed for the Fat Lady's portrait. Though it was dark outside, for some reason things felt just a little lighter in her heart. 

* * *

Getting one's hair done at a wizarding salon wasn't quite like getting it done anywhere else. Hermione simply told the hairdresser what she wanted it to look like, and with a little wave of a wand, a little potion application, and some enchanted scissors, her hair was no longer bushy, but straight and reached just past her shoulders. 

"Very nice." Professor McGonnagal approved as she came out of the building. Hermione had always imagined that the Deputy Headmistress would have better things to do with her time than escort a seventh year around Hogsmeade, but she wasn't going to argue. Tensions had been easing slowly ever since Harry's defeat of Voldemort the previous Halloween, in eerie counterpoint to the death of his own parents so long ago, but the occasional surviving Death Eater still made attempts on lives, just to remind everyone that it hadn't been a clean sweep. Hermione had little desire to become one of their victims. 

"Thanks. I hope he likes it." 

McGonnagal raised one eyebrow lightly at the comment as Hermione went to do a little window shopping. "Who?" She waited until the younger witch had looked back at her. "You said you hoped _he_ liked it. Who?" She didn't often involve herself in the love lives of her students, but it was Christmas. A little letting down of the hair was permissible. 

"I didn't mean to say it out loud," Hermione blushed slightly and looked away. "But Draco...I mean, Malfoy." 

McGonnagal blinked slightly in surprise. "I see. I wasn't aware that you two knew each other that well." This was definitely not what she'd been expecting when the two of them had been made Head Boy and Head Girl. 

"Not really," Hermione stared back into the window of the shop intently. "But things happen, I guess." _I don't think she'd like it that much if I told her the truth. Besides, it really won't work if anyone **does** know the truth._

The teacher nodded for a moment, then headed into the herb shop that had been the main purpose for her trip there in the first place. Hermione looked around in it for a few moments, then spied something across the street. _Perfect. Just perfect._

"Is there anywhere else you'd like to go before we return to school?" McGonnagal asked, tucking her purchases away in a bag that looked too small to actually hold them. Hermione nodded quickly. 

"Just one more stop and I'm ready." She hurried over there, dodging various other shoppers, and stepped into Gladrags Wizarding Wear. She came out a few moments later with a beautiful dress robe wrapped up under one arm, carefully packaged so no one could see just what it looked like. "All right, I'm ready." 

McGonnagal glanced at the store she'd left, but made no comments as they headed back to the castle. Hermione was glad her Head of House kept quiet; she didn't think she felt like explaining it anyway...even if she were certain of _how_. 

* * *

The first, and just about only, person that Hermione saw in the Great Hall was Draco, seated at one of the smaller tables that had replaced the House ones because of the reduced student population. She headed over there, a faint shiver going through her at the thought of him seeing her in her slightly altered condition. _I shouldn't worry about this. It's not that important._ None of that changed the nervousness fluttering around in her guts, however. 

"Nice hair." He eyed her for a moment before returning his attention to the food. She murmured thanks back as she started on her own lunch. Things were quiet for some minutes, then Draco pushed his plate back and fixed her with one of those cool gray looks. "Would you like to go flying?" 

She smiled just a little. That had to be one of the most courteous questions he'd ever had come out of his mouth. "I'd love to." 

It was one of those glistening winter mornings; an ice-blue sky arched overhead, and a light, chilly wind tugged at their hair and clothes. Hermione ran a hand down her broom and shivered just a little. _I wonder why he asked me. Just keeping up appearances in front of the teachers, I guess._ That still did nothing to keep her from being nervous, however. She was still flying with one of the best Seekers that Hogwarts had seen in years. 

"Let's go!" With a graceful push Malfoy launched himself into the air, and Hermione followed him. The wind wrapped around them both, but as they rose higher, neither of them really seemed to care that much. 

She would have been hard put to really describe anything that actually happened as they flew. The touch of the winter sun on her back, the feel of the broomstick in her hands, the sheer nervousness slowly fading away to the enthrallment of being in the air...all of them wiped away any memory of anything else. 

_I wonder how many people know how much I like to fly?_ She had never really let on, to be honest. After all, with Harry as the star Seeker and Ron as the Keeper on the Gryffindor team, no one really seemed to expect her to be anything but their cheerleader. She certainly wasn't expected to pick up a broom and go flying herself. 

She did a merry loop just for the sheer joy of it, then noticed that Malfoy was watching her out of the corner of one eye. _I wonder what's on his mi...what's that?_ She caught a glimpse of something glittering beside the Gryffindor stands and darted down towards it. A moment later she had it in her hand, a confidant grin on her face. 

"What's that?" Malfoy pulled to a stop a little bit away from her and looked at the item in her hand. 

"My bracelet. I lost it at the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw game three weeks ago." Hermione grinned as she put it back on firmly. She'd been looking everywhere for that thing. 

Malfoy tilted his head slightly. "You should've been a Seeker." There was a vague sort of grudging respect in his tone, as if he didn't really want to say the words. That wouldn't have surprised her. If he ever gave her an outright compliment, she'd be certain he was sick or under Imperius. 

"I don't think so." Hermione shook her head. "That's Harry's department, not mine. It's not that important, after all." 

His eyes glinted lightly at her in amusement. "True. After all, you couldn't beat me either." 

"Let's finish our ride," Hermione didn't see any real reason to keep stroking his ego. She pulled her broom up and headed up farther, enjoying the feel of the wind in her hair. _I'm going to have to spend some extra time brushing it. I think I'll reorganize my schedule a little so I can do that and get in that extra essay for History of Magic while I'm at it._

She turned her broom back towards the castle, then paused for a heartbeat. _Was that...yeah, it's him._ There was absolutely no mistaking that hair for anything else. She glanced over at Malfoy for a moment. "Let's do some flying over the Forbidden Forest." _I know he's going to see us. There's no way he couldn't. He knows we're the only ones who'd even **be** here right now._ If they were going to pull off a convincing fake, it was best not to miss a single trick. 

As the two of them flew that way, she was almost certain that Ron was glaring at them. She did a half loop, flying upside down for a few moments before correcting herself, then headed in for a landing, a wide grin spreading across her face as she did so. _I can't believe how much **fun** this has been!_ Words simply didn't seem adequate for once. 

Her eyes flicked briefly around, then a certain imp of mischief nibbled at her, and she leaned forward to lay her lips gently across his. She knew that Ron was clearly able to see what was going on, and she kept on kissing, making certain he saw she was the one who had started it. _I wouldn't have done this three years ago...but three years ago, Ron didn't do what **he** did._

"You're a wonderful kisser," she murmured softly as they pulled apart. Draco looked ever so slightly impressed, or so she told herself anyway. 

"Are you certain you haven't dated anyone except for the Weasel?" Draco looked slightly impressed, but it faded quickly, leaving that usual sardonic grin of his. "You certainly kiss better than I'd expect for _that_." 

Hermione shrugged a bit. "I know I haven't dated anyone else. But kissing him was like kissing a fish." She hated to say it, but it was true. Ron had a lot of skills, but kissing wasn't really one of them. "Would you like to fly again tomorrow?" 

"I believe I just might." Malfoy replied. "Unless something better comes up." 

The two of them headed inside, separating to go to their respective common rooms, and Hermione wasn't surprised to find herself walking almost right into Ron as he stared at her on one of the stairways. 

"Why, hello, Ronald." She looked at him calmly. "What brings you back so soon?" 

He glared at her, his face almost as pale as his hair was red, fury written all over him. "What were you _doing_??" From the tone of his voice, she would have expected to be cavorting with the reborn spirit of Voldemort, not just flying around. 

"Going to the common room." She retorted lightly, enjoying the look on his face. 

"No, I meant out _there_!" 

She shrugged. "Flying with Malfoy. He asked me to, after all." She touched her lips with a smile, remembering the feel of his on hers. That had been so...sweet. 

Ron shifted almost at once from red to nauseous green. "Hermione, that's _Malfoy_!" 

"No...that's Draco." Hermione smiled just a little. Yes. Draco. Even if it were just a sham, that didn't matter. He was Draco. Her smile widened briefly. "And a _wonderful_ kisser." 

Her friend looked as if he just might possibly throw up. "You _kissed_ him??" 

"Several times." Hermione walked around him and headed towards the common room, giving the password casually as she did so. "So what brought you back so early?" 

"Ginny got sick and mom didn't want to risk us catching it," Ron told her. Hermione frowned a little. She didn't mind the redhead being here, but Harry and Draco had been rivals from the start, and if they both started to yell at her... 

"Harry's here too?" She got a confirming nod. "Well, I hope you two have a good time together, because I'm probably going to be spending most of it with Draco." 

Ron shuddered just at the mention of the name. "Why?" It seemed as if he couldn't even comprehend the thought of someone liking the pale rich boy. 

"Maybe I'm starting to like him!" Hermione almost enjoyed the look of revulsion that caused. It also kind of annoyed her. "What's the matter, Ron? I start to like someone other than you and you act as if I'm sick." 

He shook his head quickly. "No, you start to like _Malfoy_ and you're sick!" 

Hermione shot an angry look at him. "At least kissing him isn't like kissing a fish!" She shook her head a little, noticing the slight shock in Ron's eyes as he _finally_ noticed that she wasn't quite the way he'd left her, and enjoying it to the hilt. "Well, we're going flying again tomorrow, so if you will excuse me." She headed to the private room that being Head Girl got her, and shut the door firmly behind her. 

Ron stared after her for a moment, then flopped next to Harry on the couch. "I can't believe this." This had to be some kind of spell or hex or nightmare or something like that. 

"She...kissed Malfoy?" Harry looked about like Ron felt at that thought. "You don't think she's doing this just to get back at you for the breakup, do you?" 

The fiery redhead snorted in indignation. "If she is, then she can just _keep_ him! I'm not kissing someone who kissed _Malfoy_!!" 

Harry eyed his friend for a moment. "She dumped you, didn't she? Karen?" He had never quite trusted the Ravenclaw who had wormed her way into Ron's emotions a few weeks earlier. The youngest male Weasley could be quite flighty sometimes even now, easily led somewhere by a pretty face, and Karen Ackerly was one of the most beautiful girls in Hogwarts. Ron muttered something under his breath, and Harry leaned a bit closer. "What was that?" 

"Yeah." The response was muttered and sullen, but he could hear it this time. Harry shrugged some, wishing there was something more he could say or so. 

"Well, you shouldn't have dumped Hermione." Harry had never really thought that much about Hermione in a romantic sense, but he did have to admit that she and Ron were a lot like flint and steel. "Well, let's head to bed. This is probably a bad dream." 

Ron sighed darkly. "I didn't think they came this bad." 

"They come worse." Harry reminded him, thinking of a few nightmares he'd had over the last few years. "They can come a _lot_ worse." 

* * *

Hermione stirred a little, then opened her eyes. _It's Christmas morning._ She could feel a pile of gifts at the foot of her bed and smiled a little. She was pretty certain she knew what they all were, but that didn't diminish any of her joy in getting them in the first place. 

She sat up carefully and looked at the pile there. A lot of it was just what she'd expected, but one of them was strange. _Who sent this?_ She checked the tag on it, and stared. _Draco???_

The silver and green wrapping paper that was wrapped around the gift quickly was torn off, and she stared down at the soft green velvet cloak, trimmed in pure silvery fur. "I don't believe this..." Hermione ran a hand across it gently, hardly able to believe she was actually seeing it, much less feeling it. _I'm glad I sent him that sweater. This keeping up appearances isn't too hard._

She went through the rest of her gifts, leaving only the ones that had been marked as being from Ron and Harry. Once she was done, she grabbed hold of one of her favorite books and headed to the common room. She knew the others were going to be down there soon enough, and imagining how they'd react to her new cloak was rather enjoyable. 

The reality was even _more_ amusing when Harry and Ron entered the common room just a few minutes after she'd settled in. "Who gave you _that_?" Ron blurted out, staring at the emerald beauty wrapped around her. 

"Draco." She patted the ruff a little. "Isn't it lovely?" 

Ron snorted angrily. "I've seen better." 

"Where?" Hermione wasn't going to take that so tamely. She'd tried never to insult Ron's financial status, but he was just starting to get on her nerves some. "The store window?" 

Her housemate stared at her as if she'd just said Percy was a Death Eater. "You're already acting like him, Hermione! Nice to see where your _real_ loyalties are." 

"You lost _my_ loyalties when you dumped me and Harry took sides," Hermione snapped harshly. "Draco likes me and I like him!" 

"Yeah, sure. You like someone who has spent seven years insulting you. What did he do, suck all your brains out? Going to start trailing after him and cooing about how cute he is?" 

Hermione sighed a little. This was getting to be harder than she'd thought it would be. "No, Ron. People change. I at least thought you'd be happy that _I'm_ happy. After all, you're the one who broke my heart." She stared into the fire, remembering once more the touch of Draco's lips on her own. 

"You don't know if you're happy." Ron snapped, ignoring her murmured assertion that she did. "You barely know him!!" 

She shook her head a little. "I _am_ happy with him." She stood up quickly, her heart shuddering in pain at being so close to Ron when he was being this much of a pain. "I have to go meet Draco." 

"Going to eat at the Slytherin table too?" Ron snapped at her. She shook her head as she wrapped the cloak more tightly around her and started back up to her room. _He's **such** a jerk sometimes...but..._ She sighed a bit. As much as he could annoy her, she couldn't really shake the fact that Ron and Harry _were_ her friends, and had been for years. 

It was almost impossible for her to remember any time when they hadn't had some kind of adventure together during the course of the year. Even when she hadn't liked them, she'd gotten caught up with them anyway. _Guess I can't get away from them...and I don't think I really want to._

Once she was cleaned up and ready for the day, she headed back to the common room, just in time to see Ron looking at the gift she'd sent him: the latest version of _Flying With The Cannons_. "I'm sorry," she got his attention right away with that one, even though he still kept staring at the book. "I had no right to say that, and I didn't mean it. I'm still mad at you for what you did to me, and I snapped." 

He glanced up, and she was glad to see he was smiling. "It's okay. I mean, I don't really like the fact it's _Malfoy_, but you're my friend, and if that's what you really want..." 

"It is." She was certain of it. Of course Draco still believed this was a sham, and it would probably fall apart...but she couldn't really care right now. It just felt too real for her to care. "And Ron, you have to admit, that the only place _any_ of us have seen a cloak like this was in a store window." 

He looked a bit reluctant, but she was right, and they both knew it. "Yeah...he's not trying to buy you or something, is he??" 

"He got me with his kiss," Hermione told him, flushing just slightly. "No offence. But I've got to go." 

Ron nodded a little, then smiled some at her. "Happy Christmas." 

"You too." She headed out as swiftly as she could, looking forward to seeing Draco Malfoy for the first time in seven years. 

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione knew she didn't have the greatest fashion sense that had ever been found in witch, wizard, or Muggle, but she was quite glad to see Draco wearing a very specific hunter green sweater when she entered the Great Hall. The little silver dragon embroidered right over his heart gave it just the perfect touch, she thought. 

"That looks good on you," she told him as she came over, the cloak tucked over one arm where she knew he could see it. He glanced up briefly as she dropped a kiss on his cheek in greeting and nodded. 

"And _that_ looks good on you." Draco told her. She ran one hand across it, marvelling once again at how much softer things such as velvet were in the wizarding world, then looked at him. 

"Are we going to fly today?" It would be nice to be up in the air with him, and with this around her. It would almost feel as if _he_ had his arms around her. _I really shouldn't be thinking things like this._

He shrugged lightly. "I hadn't really planned on it." She saw something in his eyes that might well have been the memory of how much fun the previous day had been, but it was gone a heartbeat later. 

"All right," Hermione headed over to get her breakfast and took a seat. _I haven't heard about mom lately. I wonder how she's doing._ She poked a little at the food, eating a little, but her thoughts were as far from what was in front of her as they possibly could be. 

She was almost certain Draco was looking at her, but it didn't really make a difference. She hadn't told _anyone_ about her mother and what was going on with her. _I wonder if I **should** say anything. Ron and Harry should know, at least. Maybe Draco._ It was hard to make the decision. 

"Something on your mind?" She jumped slightly as Draco asked the question, then shook her head quietly. 

"I'm just thinking about my mom, that's all." Hermione almost flinched when she heard what he said. _He's going to want to know more. I know I would._ She put her fork down, hardly noticing the faint rattle her shaking hand caused putting it on the plate. 

"Why didn't you go home?" Draco's cool eyes hadn't left her for a moment. She wasn't looking at him, but she could feel it anyway. His regard was almost like a weight on her, one that made her insides shiver and jump. 

"I'd just be in the way." She shook her head a little, and spied him raising one eyebrow at her. It was obvious he didn't exactly believe what she'd just told him, and in retrospect, it did look a little silly. "She's in the hospital. I'm worried about her, that's all." 

Draco frowned slightly. It was the first time she could remember seeing him look even mildly concerned about someone who wasn't him or related to him. "What's wrong with her?" 

"She's got ovarian cancer," Hermione whispered the words as if they were the essence of Dark magic. _It sounds so horrible spoken like that. I think I liked hearing **Avada Kevadra** better._ "Muggle medicine has made some good advances. She's going to be fine...I hope." 

The young Slytherin nodded briefly. "You could always try helping her. You _are_ a witch after all." 

If Hermione hadn't been so deep in her thoughts about her mother, she might have been far more shocked about the almost courteous way he said that. "I wouldn't know _how_ to heal her. I'm scared if I mess up, I could kill her. At any rate, my parents wouldn't let me use magic to straighten my teeth, why would they let me use it on my mom?" She stared down at the half-full plate for a few moments, then stood up. "I think I'm going to take a walk." 

She was almost halfway out of the Great Hall before the question came after her. "Would you like some company?" She glanced back to see Draco there, a faint smile that looked ever so slightly sardonic on his lips. _It looks nice...but I wonder if he knows how to **really** smile._

"You have a nice smile," she told him as he came a little closer, and his lips moved apart just a little more. 

"Practice." 

As the two of them walked out, Hermione caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror, and quickly wiped away the tears that were trying to accumulate on her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm being such a sap." 

Draco just shrugged a little, not really seeming to mind, but she could tell he wasn't all that thrilled about it. _He's always so elegant. So composed._ Part of her wanted to get past that icy exterior, to see whatever it was that _really_ made him tick. _That would be interesting. He can't be like that all the time._

She glanced up at the sky, trying to find something at least partially intelligent to say. _I feel...empty for some reason. Like there's nothing **to** say._ "It's going to be a clear sky today." That sounded _very_ stupid. She could almost feel him wanting to leave. 

Whatever he wanted, the only thing he said was, "But a little chilly." He was still watching her too. Maybe she hadn't screwed up that badly. 

"It usually is in winter." She replied, then shivered a little as she felt his hand caressing her cheek for a moment. A heartbeat later, their lips touched each other once more, a soft and deep kiss. Her hand slid up to stroke through his wintry hair, her eyes probing deeply into his, searching for anything like caring in them. 

_They're so chilly and gray...like ice...or clouds..._ A memory of something she'd heard over her last summer vacation flickered through her mind, and she hummed a little under her breath. Draco blinked slightly in confusion. 

"What's that?" 

_That's right, he hates Muggle things._ "A song called _Stormy Weather_." She kept an eye on his expression, and saw a definite flicker of distaste go through his eyes. 

"Oh. Muggle music." There was something in his tone that clearly translated into "I wouldn't listen to this if wild apes were tearing me apart were the other option in life." 

It wasn't as if she didn't already know, however. He'd made his opinion on Muggles clear since the very beginning. But that wasn't going to stop her from liking what she liked. _Besides, he could use a little more exposure to things like this._ "It's swing music. Fast paced, dancing, lots of tossing your partner into the air. Something tells me that I think you'd like it." 

"I doubt it," Draco didn't look very enthused. All that really seemed to do was just increase her determination to get him to at least _listen_ to some of it some time. Not at Hogwarts, of course, since the CD player her parents had gotten her was not only at their place, but it wouldn't have played here at any rate. 

The two of them remained as they were for a few more moments, quietly enjoying the silence and the company. Hermione was the one who broke it. "What do you like to do for fun?" 

"Fly, mainly." She wasn't surprised. Skill like his could only be achieved by practice, and it was obvious he practiced a _lot_. 

But she wanted to know more, as much more as possible. "So what do you do on summer break? It has to be more than just fly." 

"Sometimes we visit relatives, or have them come to the manor. Father's been busy the last few years so we haven't really gone out that much. I've thought about learning wizard chess, but it's nothing I'm in that much of a hurry to do." He watched the clouds scurrying by, teased by the wind, then glanced at her. "What do you plan to do after Hogwarts?" 

"You'd laugh." It wasn't something she'd ever told anyone, after all. She was the Head Girl, the hard working one who had spent every spare moment studying since her first day here. But it was still what she wanted. 

Draco didn't seem to care, though. "So amuse me." She wasn't certain if he were serious, or if he meant that her only purpose in life was to amuse him. The way he was looking at her, he could've meant either one quite easily. 

"Well, I'd really like to play professional Quidditch, at least for a while." She looked a bit ashamed. Head Girls and prefects weren't supposed to want things like that. 

"Any particular team?" Draco actually looked almost _interested_! That had to be a miracle. 

She nodded slightly, her cheeks reddening more from embarrassment than from the wind, no matter what she kept telling herself inside. "The Holyhead Harpies." They were the only all-witch Quidditch team in existence, and ever since she'd read that in _Quidditch Through The Ages_, she'd wanted to be one of them. 

Draco looked slightly surprised, and quite possibly even...ashamed? "That's mine too. I know it's a little weird, liking the only all-witch team, but they're really good." There was something in his eyes that was very much like Ron's when he was discussing the Chudley Cannons, only not quite as intense. 

Hermione grinned a little. "You just like watching all the witches playing Quidditch!" 

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Draco teased back, shocking Hermione. Was he actually loosening up around her? That had to go down in the record books. 

She leaned back a little, wrapping her arms around her legs. "I just find it amazing that _more_ guys aren't watching them. I hope I could be a Seeker for them, but I don't know if I really have a chance." 

"I could help you learn." Draco's tone was somewhat off-hand, as if he did this every day, and she had the feeling it wouldn't be good to challenge him on this. If she started pointing out that he usually hated 'Mudbloods' and everyone who wasn't like him, he'd probably withdraw the offer. 

"Really?" It was the only thing she could think of to say right now. He sounded so casual about it, maybe he didn't _really_ mean it, though. Maybe he expected her to turn it down. 

He nodded slightly as he glanced her up and down. "You're not exactly built for a Seeker, but that doesn't always matter." 

"What do you _mean_ I'm not built for a Seeker?" That position had been the one that had really appealed to her more than any other. _Be honest, Hermione, it's because the Seeker has one job, and you could do that practically in your sleep. Or so you keep telling yourself._

She had never really seen him as serious as he was right now. "Look at me. Look at Cho Chang when she was here. Potter. All of us are small and light, because we have to be _fast_ to catch the Snitch." Hermione had to admit he was right. Cedric had been a bit unusual in being as big as he was, but that sort of thing wasn't usual in Seekers. 

But she was a woman, and there were certain things that you just didn't _say_ to a woman. "Are you saying I'm fat?" She stood up in front of him, arms crossed over her chest as she glared down at him. He barely blinked. 

"No, I'm not, I'm saying that you're tall." Draco glanced up and down her once more, an appraising look in his eyes. She no longer wondered just why he was not only one of the best players Hogwarts had seen, but the captain of his team for the last two years as well. "Actually, I could see you more as a Keeper than a Seeker. They have to be fast, too, but having a build like yours could help with that." 

She blinked a little. That hadn't really occurred to her. _I think I've been associating with Harry a little too much._ "Oh. You're right." 

"Does the position matter that much to you?" Draco asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. She shook her head quickly. 

"Not, really as long as I'm playing." 

He nodded slightly. "Why didn't you ever try out for Gryffindor?" 

That was something she'd thought about for a while herself. "Studying always came first, really. I know I probably should have if I want to even _try_ to be professional, but there were other things to do too." 

"You'll want to make up for that before you try at the professional level," Draco told her seriously. "Pro Quidditch isn't something you go into lightly. I'm not even sure _I_ could do it." She was positive something strange was going on. This had to be the first time in seven years that he'd ever said he wasn't certain he could do something. 

She grinned suddenly as a thought passed her mind. "I wonder if I could get Ron off of the team." Her ex-boyfriend had been playing ever since his fifth year, and she knew he was good. "I doubt it, though." 

"He _has_ been playing for a few years." It would be a cold day in Hell before Draco Malfoy said that Ron Weasley was _good_ at anything except being a complete idiot. But there were other ways to say things. 

Hermione nodded quickly. "He's not the best Keeper that Gryffindor has ever had, either. That was Oliver Wood." 

"Not to mention that it's only a few months until we leave anyway. I don't really think it's worth the effort." 

She glanced back at him curiously. If she really had half a hope, then she had to train, and she would be going up against witches from all over the United Kingdom, and probably farther afield as well, who had spent all of their school days in training. "Would you help me train?" 

There was only silence for a few moments, then he nodded quietly. "It's a deal." 

"Thanks." Hermione shook his hand politely to seal the bargain. _That's weird. I think someone's watching me..._ Instinctively she glanced up to the castle, and caught a glimpse of familiar flame red hair in one window, with a shock of dark black beside it. "Great. Now I'm being spied on." 

Draco looked in the direction she had, then smirked a little and waved at them cheerily. Hermione giggled softly, then decided, _If they're going to spy, I might as well give them something to spy **on**._ She leaned forward and kissed Draco quite firmly on the lips, making certain they saw everything. 

Once they pulled back, Draco eyed her with slightly more interest than he usually did. "It seems there just might be a little Slytherin in you." 

"And you have the tiniest bit of Gryffindor." Hermione told him. Draco raised one eyebrow. 

"There's no need to be insulting." 

She flashed him a slightly annoyed look. "It wasn't an insult." The way his lips moved slightly, or at least _seemed_ to move, quite possibly indicated that he understood that. She shook her head a bit. "Your eyes remind me of that song. _Stormy Weather._" 

A hint of amusement touched his eyes for a brief moment, accompanied by the faintest of sounds that in someone else could've been a chuckle. But this was Draco Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy simply didn't chuckle, so it had to be some other sound. 

Quiet fell between them for a few moments, with only the sounds of the Forbidden Forest and a few bangs and whistles from inside the castle that were probably Peeves to break the silence. _I think this is the quietest Christmas there's been in years. Makes up for Halloween, I guess. I wonder if it's going to stay this quiet for the rest of the year, even when everyone else gets back._ Hermione ran her fingers across the cloak in thought, then glanced at Draco for a moment. "What do you plan to do after Hogwarts?" After all, he knew _her_ dreams, it was only right that he share. 

"I haven't really decided yet." Draco shrugged lightly and Hermione's eyes widened slightly. 

"The Head Boy hasn't decided?" She clearly recalled how Percy Weasley had known what _he_ wanted almost since the moment they had first met. Draco didn't seem all that bothered by his lack of plans, however. _He probably knows, and just doesn't want to say anything. We haven't exactly been talking to each other **that** long, after all._ She glanced at the sun for a moment, then looked back at him. "I'm going to go wash up. It's almost lunch time." 

He nodded briefly and she headed inside, feeling his eyes on her the whole way. Just before she passed the door, she glanced behind her, and wasn't surprised to see Draco still watching her. She flushed slightly, her lips trembling with the memory of the kiss, then hurried up to Gryffindor Tower. She passed Ron and Harry on the way, giving them a brief wave, then raced on, eager to get to the warm blaze she knew was waiting there. 

"It's _freezing_ out there!" The cold hadn't seemed all that bad when she was with Draco, but now the effects of it seemed almost to be piling up at once. She knew that was scientifically impossible, but this _was_ Hogwarts after all. 

She'd virtually expected Ron and Harry to follow her, so when she heard Harry reminding Ron that she was right, it _was_ winter, she was not only not surprised at that, she was half way expecting what her ex said afterwards. "So she shouldn't go out!" 

"I can do what I want." She leaned a little closer to the fire, not even bothering to look up at them. "I had fun. But then, you saw that, didn't you?" 

Ron shuddered in memory at what he'd seen. "You really like him?" Hermione rolled her eyes, but nodded for her answer. Draco had been almost unfailingly polite and nice to her ever since they'd started this little deal. 

_I know he just wants his parents off of his back, but he's still being polite._ It was more than she'd ever had from him before. 

Ron fidgeted a little more, his curiosity eating him alive. "What were you talking about out there?" She had to wonder if this would get him to doing his homework more, so he could spy on them without having to ask her things like this. 

"Quidditch." She wasn't at all surprised to see him light up like a Christmas tree at the mention of the word. "I'm kind of hungry. Excuse me while I change for lunch." She knew how that sounded, but after walking in the cold and a light layer of snow, and a few kisses from Draco, she _really_ wanted to have a shower before going out in public again. Maybe a nice cold one. 

* * *

Hermione pushed her food around on her plate, not looking at the others surrounding her at the Gryffindor table. She could hear the sounds of chewing, swallowing, and conversation, but none of it really seemed to _affect_ her. 

_I think the Slytherins are looking at me._ She could feel the eyes on her still, only this time it wasn't Draco. It was virtually every Slytherin female in sixth and seventh year. A couple of the others were also eying her, but it was those two years that seemed to be doing it the most. _Are they...giggling?_ That was not exactly an endearing sound. 

"Hermione?" She jumped slightly at Harry's quiet question. "You look upset about something. Is there anything you'd want to talk about?" 

She shook her head quickly. "Not upset, just thinking." Her fingers rattled across the letter that had been dropped on her plate that morning. _Mom's not doing so good._ She pushed her plate away and stood up. "I'm not hungry. Excuse me." 

As she hurried away, the female complement of Slytherin House's upper years hurried after her. _If they want to argue with me about being with Draco, I'm going to be **really** ticked!_

They caught up with her after she was sitting in the courtyard, gathering about in a sort of half-circle. One of them stepped forward. Hermione knew she should recall their name, but it just escaped her at the moment. She looked whoever it was in the eye. "Yes?" 

"Is Draco really a good kisser?" The girl asked. Hermione looked at her for a moment, then the name clicked in her mind. Millicent Bulstrode, the girl she'd tried to take on the appearance of in their second year. 

She grinned a bit at the question, however. "Good? I wouldn't put it that way." She hesitated just long enough for them to start looking disappointed. I'd say he's better than good." 

The various girls squealed happily, some of them muttering about how she was so lucky to be dating him in the first place. Hermione tried to find a polite way to get out of it, then saw Professor McGonnagal coming towards her. "Hello, Professor." The girls split apart to give her Head of House access to her. 

"We've received a message from your family, Miss Granger. Things aren't looking very well, I'm sorry." 

Hermione stared for a moment, not able to believe what she'd just heard. Professor McGonnagal reached out to pat her on the shoulder, only to have the brown-haired girl twist and run away, heading blindingly away from them all. The Transfiguration teacher shook her head a little, then shot a look at the Slytherins, asking with just a stern look what they were doing there. 

Millicent ignored the rest of her friends and hurried away to where she knew Draco was. "Draco! Something's wrong with your new girlfriend. She just ran off crying after talking to Professor McGonnagal." 

"Do you know which way she went?" Draco wondered. His fellow Slytherin nodded quickly, motioning in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. He headed that way without so much as a word to her. 

Millicent rolled her eyes a little, then went on to the next person she knew she'd need to talk to in order to find out everything that was going on: Harry Potter. 

"All right, Potter," she cornered him just as he and the other Gryffindors were getting ready to leave the table. "What's going on with the Mudblood?" It was obvious just from the look in his eyes that he had no idea what she was talking about. "Draco just went after her, but she was bawling over something McGonnagal said about her family." 

"Which way did they go?" Both Potter and Weasley looked a little upset by what she'd said. There were days when she would've liked that. Today just so happened to be one of them. 

"She went into the Forbidden Forest." Bulstrode grinned just a bit. "Draco's going to take care of her, though. You should probably let them have some time alone." It didn't really bother her all that much that their putative leader was dating the kind of creature they'd mocked for most of their lives. Draco knew what he was doing, and the Mudblood obviously had pretty good taste. 

"What?" One of those other Gryffindors, Thomas she thought, looked a little confused. Oh, this was _too_ rich! She'd been convinced they told each other everything, including their shoe size, whether they needed to know or not! 

"She didn't tell them, did she?" Millicent glanced over at the other two members of the Terribly Tawdry Trio, and was met with a shake of the head from scarred-boy. "Well, it seems that our Draco and your Hermione started dating over Christmas break." 

The sound of shocked Gryffindors was _wonderful_. She decided to try for it more often. 

"It seems like she's been keeping other stuff from us too." Potter didn't look all that thrilled about it, either. 

One of the other Gryffinmorons looked highly confused. "I thought you three were inseparable! You can't move without tripping over all three of you half the time!" 

"I wish I knew." Potter fidgeted a little. "The first thing we saw when we got back _was_ them kissing." 

_What do you know, I decide to surprise them more often, and I get my chance right away._ Bulstrode grinned a little, a sight that didn't really endear her to most of her audience. "They were _French_ kissing too." Part of being a Slytherin, and a gossipmonger, was knowing exactly when to make the very best exit. "I've got to go. I was just wondering what was up with her." With a swish of her robe she slipped away. _Still don't see what Draco sees in her, but I guess he knows best. Wonder if I should try for one of them...no, I don't think I could take the sappiness._

Back at the Gryffindor table, Ron looked at his best friend. "Should we go after them?" He knew what Bulstrode had said, but he wasn't taking the word of a Slytherin over Harry's. 

"Not right now." Harry shook his head. If they had to they could use his Invisibility Cloak, but something inside said that this was something that they had to stay out of for now. _I can't believe I'm trusting one of my best friends to Draco Malfoy. Maybe I've lost my mind...or maybe I'm just growing up._ At that moment, he couldn't really see a difference. 

Dean Thomas shook his head a little. "I can't believe she's going out with a _Slytherin_." Ron muttered his agreement from across the table and took a very deep swig of pumpkin juice before heading away. His fellow Gryffindor watched him go, worry in his eyes. The entire Tower had witnessed their breakup before Christmas. Whatever was going on, Ron Weasley definitely didn't like it. "It's almost as if she's turned her back on us." 

* * *

Draco found her in a few minutes, since she hadn't gone all that far. She was seated by a pond, tears falling softly as she stared into the deep waters. As he called her name, she looked up, revealing a face that was red and blotchy from tears and stress she'd done her best to hide until now. "How did you find me?" 

"Bulstrode told me you were out here," Draco came over to sit beside her, offering a handkerchief. As she wiped her face, he sat beside her, not objecting when she leaned in closer. 

"I have a feeling that I won't have her much longer." The Muggleborn witch murmured quietly. Tears slipped down her cheeks faster and faster, and the thought she was in the arms of someone she'd only really begun _talking_ to a few days earlier didn't even cross her mind. He was warm and he was comforting and that was all she wanted right now. As her tears slowly dried up, she looked up at him. "Thank you." 

He said nothing, only held her closer, letting her relax into him. _I don't know why I'm doing this. This is supposed to just be a sham._ He refused to think the rest of it; that he was just supposed to be using her to keep his parents from bothering him any more, and she was supposed to be using him to get back at the Weasel. 

Long quiet moments passed, and Hermione's weight shifted slightly, weighing down on him a little more. Draco glanced down at her and almost seemed to smile. _She fell asleep._ He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be so close to losing his mother. It wasn't something he even wanted to think about. 

_I'd better get inside._ He was one of the best students in his year, but even he walked a little warily in the Forbidden Forest. He gathered Hermione into his arms and carried her back to the castle, making sure not to jar her too badly. _She's cold._ He hoped she wasn't going to get sick. His faux girlfriend should be above getting sick. 

The first person he saw when he got back to the castle was McGonnagal, who didn't appear to be batting an eye over the Slytherin Head Boy holding the Gryffindor Head Girl in his arms. As a matter of fact, the only thing she said was, "Take her to the hospital wing, Mr. Malfoy." 

Once Hermione was comfortably tucked away in a bed, the Transfiguration teacher looked at him. "She's going to be visiting her family tomorrow." She handed him a scroll. "Please give this to Professor Snape when you get to class. It'll tell him where she is and why you are very late." Both of them knew it was just a formality. Draco could've come into class wearing a pink tutu and a feather bonnet and Snape would not only _not_ have taken off points, he might well have given them for being creative with one's dress. 

Draco wasn't quite certain just how long he'd been watching the sleeping Hermione, until Professor McGonnagal cleared her throat. "Mr. Malfoy, if you don't go, you will miss your class." He nodded slightly, then slipped out of the hospital wing as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb her. _I'll come back later._

Once the door was closed, McGonnagal glanced at the school mediwitch. "Is it arranged to help her mother?" 

"Everything's ready." Madame Pomfrey agreed. She glanced over at the sleeping Hermione, then back at McGonnagal, stifling a yawn. "It took me until almost dawn, but I sent the remedy off with the morning owls." 

The professor nodded. "I'm glad her parents agreed to our help to getting her mother's heart stronger so they can do the surgery." The thought of what might have happened if they hadn't was not worth contemplating. She leaned over to cover Hermione up a little, then placed a note beside her. That would tell her star student just what she needed to know when she woke up. "Let her rest here for a while, then send her to pack. I've got the fourth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws to deal with now, and there's no telling what they'll get up to if I don't show up." 

Madame Pomfrey chuckled a little as the teacher left, then carefully pulled the curtains around Hermione's bed. The poor girl needed to rest. So much stress, it wasn't good for her. 

* * *

When Draco walked into class, almost twenty minutes late, Snape simply held his hand out for the parchment, then indicated for him to take his seat. "Today we're going to be working on the Verus Amo Potion." His dark gaze swept over the class. "What _is_ the purpose of the Verus Amo potion?" 

Students shifted this way and that, and Draco was certain several eyes were watching where Hermione usually sat, since she would normally have had her hand up, eager to answer. At last Draco himself decided to put an end to this and raised his hand. "Mr. Malfoy." 

"Supposedly when one looks into the Verus Amo mixture, the face of one's true love is revealed." Draco himself didn't believe in such things. He made his own choices, he didn't let some mix of who knew what decide who _he_ was going to love. 

"Very good. Now, get to work." Snape sneered at them all. "And if any of you happen to see your current lust object in the cauldron, please refrain from any displays of public affection." 

As the students got to work, Draco felt just a little deprived. He could hear a couple of the Gryffindors sniggering about the fact he was the only one there who didn't have a partner. _I'm going to have to remember to hex them when I get a chance. This is Snape's fault. If he hadn't decided we had to team up with Gryffindors and 'learn to get along or else' this year..._ Hermione had been the one assigned to be his partner, which hadn't bothered him as much as he'd thought it would. 

The potion didn't take all that long to put together, at least for him. He was almost certain one of the 'oh nooos' he was hearing was because of Longbottom melting his usual cauldron. 

"Whoa..." That was the Weasel. What was _he_ seeing in there? It looked as if he'd find out, since Potter couldn't keep his mouth shut, as always. 

"What is it?" 

Draco could just see Weasley shaking his head out of the corner of one eye. "I don't believe it." Potter seemed to be trying to get a better look, and the Slytherin rolled his eyes mentally. Everyone knew that only the maker of any given potion could see what was shown inside of it. To anyone else, it was simply a shimmering shade of gold. "It's...Hermione!" 

_What??_ Draco's eyes flicked to his own potion, and widened briefly. _This can't be right. I know **I** didn't screw it up, so he must have. Not that I'm surprised._

"Guess this means they probably aren't going to last." That was Potter again. Draco hissed under his breath; he'd said it before, and he'd say it again: no concoction of leaves, bug parts, and water was going to tell _Draco Malfoy_ who he was going to fall in love with. 

"I guess." Draco could tell that Weasley seemed just a little happy by that, and his lips twisted into a very devilish smirk. _I'm going to have **fun** with him, I think. A lot of fun._ "So who are _you_ seeing, Malfoy?" It seemed that the redhead had been bothered by something. Draco let his smirk get wider and looked up at him. 

"I'll just...let you guess." As the class ended, Draco gathered his things, then glanced over to the Dud Duo. Hermione would probably want them to know, and he doubted they'd had a chance to talk to her yet, since they'd obviously come straight to class. "Hermione is going home tomorrow." 

He headed for the door and wasn't surprised to hear Ron behind him wondering, "She _is_??" 

"Are you deaf?" The blond Slytherin looked over his shoulder before heading on to his next class. Oh, yes, he was going to have _fun_! 

* * *

Ron glanced at Harry quickly, and there was no doubt of what they were going to do. In almost perfect time they hurried out of the classroom, discussing the various places that Hermione might be. A quick check of Gryffindor Tower proved she wasn't there, but on the way back down they came across a piece of luck in the form of Professor McGonnagal. 

"Professor!" Harry called out as she started to turn a corner. The tall witch looked back at him with one carefully raised eyebrow. "Where is Hermione??" 

"In the hospital wing." The professor told them. "She might be awake by now, if you want to talk to her. But don't be _too_ late for your next class." The look she gave them clearly spelled out what she'd make certain happened if they were, and they would be lucky if they got detention for it. Very lucky. 

* * *

Hermione smiled gently at Madame Pomfrey as the mediwitch came in and checked her over. "How are you feeling?" The concerned older woman asked as she took her pulse. 

"Better, thank you." Hermione glanced at the note beside her once more. "Thank you for helping my mom, too." 

The nurse smiled at her. "It was my pleasure." Both of them looked up as Harry and Ron ran into the Hospital Wing, then stopped in their tracks, staring at their female friend. 

"What is it?" Hermione wasn't all that happy with them still right now. Things were a _little_ better, but they weren't really who she wanted to see. 

Ron looked at her with concern. "What's wrong?" She looked at him a bit sharply. 

"Nothing. Just a little exhausted, that's all. I'm fine." She started to get up, brushing aside Ron's attempts to help and flutter about her. "I have some things that need to be done before tomorrow." 

"Need any help?" Ron offered. Hermione shook her head quietly, but firmly. 

"No, I'm just packing. My mother is going to have surgery, and I want to be there for her. I'll be back by this weekend." She didn't like spending that much time away from her studies, but this was even more important. She barely heard Harry's wish of good luck as she waved farewell to Madame Pomfrey and headed to Gryffindor Tower. She had a lot to do, and not nearly enough time to do it all in. 

**To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione didn't pay any attention to the looks people were giving her as she ran into the hospital and skid to a stop in front of the nurse's station, panting. The nurse looked up calmly. 

"Can I help you?" There was a professional sort of distance in her voice as she eyed the teenager. 

"What room is Mrs. Emma Granger in?" Hermione did her best to relax, trying not to wrinkle her nose at the hospital smell all around her. _This is nothing like the hospital wing._ That was one reason she preferred the magical world overall. Madame Pomfrey didn't have to scrub everything with disinfectant. _Her_ cleaning substances had a much more pleasant aroma. 

The nurse didn't change her expression by so much as a hair. "And you are?" 

"Hermione Granger. Her daughter." Hermione watched as the nurse looked through her notes, then pointed down one of the hallways. 

"Room 412." Almost before the nurse had finished saying it, Hermione headed swiftly there. Her mom had the room to herself, though there was another bed there, and she looked relatively comfortable, all things considered. 

"Mum?" Hermione's mother looked up at the soft word. She looked much paler than Hermione remembered her, with slightly straggly hair, and dark circles under her eyes. Hermione started over towards her. "How are you feeling?" _She didn't look this bad before I left._

The older woman shrugged a little. "I've been better." 

Hermione squeezed her hand lightly. "You're going to get better." She had learned that belief could do so much more than work magic, and she wasn't going to let any kind of doubt get to work _here_. 

"I'm glad you believe in me," Emma murmured quietly. She glanced briefly towards the door. "How has school been?" They had told all their friends and family that Hermione had been accepted to a special boarding school, but they'd had to be vague about it. It had taken a while to get used to changing the subject whenever it came up, but after all this time, they'd become used to it. 

Her daughter glanced away for a moment. "Things have been better." She hesitated. "Ron dumped me." Her fingers tightened just a little on the blanket as she remembered. "I've kind of started to date someone else, though." 

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Emma knew things could be different in the wizarding world, but a mother's instincts seemed universal. If Hermione was rebounding... 

She shook her head, doing her best to dispel her mother's worry. "It's nothing serious, but I'm happy right now." Hermione decided now was a very good time to shift gears. "Madame Pomfrey sent you something." She pulled a small vial out of one pocket and showed it to her mother. 

Emma glanced at it slightly. "What is that?" 

"I thought you knew..." Hermione faltered a moment, then smiled as her mother's eyes lit up. 

"You mean that's it?" Emma had almost forgotten about what the mediwitch had promised her. A cure was impossible, or so they'd told her, but something to make her stronger had been promised. "Thank her for me." Hermione nodded, then offered the vial. 

"Drink up." She watched as her mother drained it to the last drop, then handed the empty container back to her. "I'm home for another couple of days, by the way." 

Emma glanced curiously at her studious child. "Can you take that much time away?" Ever since Hermione had gotten the letter from Hogwarts, she'd been absolutely mad for the wizarding world. 

"I've got permission." Hermione grinned at her mother, knowing just how well the older woman knew her. 

"I didn't know you'd stop studying just for _me_." Emma laughed softly, and Hermione shook her head. 

"I've still got to do my homework. Other than that, I'm all yours." She touched Emma's hand lightly, noting the signs of sickness and age there. "I've really missed you. I wish I could've come home for Christmas." 

Emma glanced at her curiously. "You did get your gifts, didn't you?" 

"Yes." Hermione nodded. Something was wrong, her mother didn't usually act like this. "Why didn't you let me come home?" 

"What have you done to your hair?" Emma wondered, reaching up to carefully touch Hermione's straighter locks. It had been unusual enough when she'd come home after her fourth year with perfectly straight teeth, but this... 

"Cut it." Hermione looked away, then looked back, meeting her mother's eyes. "Why couldn't I come home?" She wasn't going to let her mom squirm out of this if she could help it. 

"Hermione." Her mother looked at her quietly, a plea for understanding in her eyes, and the young witch stood up quickly. 

"Fine. I'm going home to get some rest." She hesitated for a heartbeat. "I just wish you trusted me more." Hermione headed out, not looking behind her. As the door closed, she leaned against the wall for a moment, tears slipping down her cheeks. She stood like that for a few moments, then looked up at the sound of familiar footsteps. 

"Dad." Hermione sniffled lightly, brushing her tears away as her father came over to her. "I'm trying to understand. Why wouldn't you let me come home for Christmas?" 

"Hermione, it was your mother's decision." 

She shook her head quickly. "Oh, so I'm not allowed to know why I couldn't spend time with my mother just when we needed each other the most? I'm just supposed to accept it?" 

Her father reached out to touch her cheeks gently, brushing away a stray tear she'd missed. "Hermione, she didn't want you to have to see her so sick around Christmas. She loves you." 

"I love her too. I don't care how sick she is." Hermione told him sharply. "I wanted to be here!" 

"I know." Her father told her. "I'm glad you're here now. Have you talked to her?" 

"A little." Hermione sighed softly. She could tell when they weren't going to tell her anything more. She'd seen it quite a few times. "I'm going to go rest and do some homework. I'll be back in the morning." 

She hugged her father quickly, then hurried out of there and caught a taxi back to their house. _I've got to do that Verus Amo potion Professor Snape assigned us, then write that essay for Professor Vector._ There were a few other things she had to do, but those two assignments would keep her busy for a while. As she gathered up the ingredients for Verus Amo, she rolled her eyes slightly. _I think he just gave us this to test how well we can follow instructions. How can a **potion** do something as silly as find out who our True Love is?_ Some of the research she'd done indicated that the potion's real purpose was to define who one was most compatible with, but it didn't necessarily mean 'true love' or 'soulmate' or any of that rubbish. 

As she finished making it, she peered inside with a slightly curious light in her eyes. _Let's see who this is._ A face slowly formed in it, and she stared, the curiosity fading into shock. "Him...why _him_?" She shuddered violently; he wasn't the _worst_ person she could have imagined, but it was definitely one of the most unexpected. There were some good things, though. "At least it's not Ron." 

She carefully poured it into a spare vial, sending a mental thanks to Harry for lending her Hedwig to send her assignments back with, then fastened it to the owl's leg along with a quick note detailing out all the usual circumstances of making this. "Take this to Professor Snape, Hedwig." She requested, watching the beautiful snowy owl as she spread her wings and soared away. 

Things were unnaturally quiet as Hedwig vanished from sight. There was usually someone else there other than her, after all. She decided to do the essay the next day. The potion and the results had taken quite a lot out of her. She trembled violently, tears making a reappearance in her eyes, then jumped a little as Crookshanks jumped up onto her. Hermione wrapped her arms around her cat and sobbed softly into his fur, letting it all out as he purred at her comfortingly. She didn't even notice when she went from exhausted sobbing, into deep sleep. 

* * *

Draco leisurely sipped at a cup of pumpkin juice, his mind wandering here and there quite aimlessly. It was one of those kinds of mornings where one just didn't seem inclined to do anything. _Glad it's the weekend. Maybe I'll go to Hogsmeade._

No seventh year Slytherin could possibly be taken off guard by someone coming up behind them. If they could be, the odds were good they wouldn't have lived to be seventh year Slytherins in the first place. So he barely reacted when a pair of hands came firmly over his eyes. 

"Hello." He bid the daring person, and was rewarded by a soft kiss on the cheek. 

"Hello." Hermione dropped her hands from his eyes and stood to one side. She definitely looked happier than she had the last time he'd seen her. Something good must have happened. 

"How are things?" He sipped a bit more at his juice, not letting anything past his usual reserved calm. This was nothing special, after all. Just his faux girlfriend. 

She smiled brilliantly at him. "Mom's going to be all right!" When he just nodded, a tinge of annoyance shaded her voice. "You sound thrilled." 

"I'm glad for you, but she's not _my_ mother." Draco put his cup down and turned his intense gray gaze onto the plate of food, not looking at her any longer. 

Hermione watched him for a moment, then headed over to the Gryffindor table, a thousand thoughts churning in her mind. She waved briefly at Ginny as she sat down beside the younger witch. "What did I miss?" 

"Not much. Malfoy's being really moody. Even more than usual." The youngest Weasley told her. Hermione glanced back over at the Slytherin table, but Draco seemed to be far more interested in whatever was on his plate than her. She looked briefly at Ron and Harry, then got up without finishing. 

"I've got to do some unpacking." She headed up quickly up to the tower, unable to stay there any longer. _It's like everything's changed but I don't know why or how._ She twitched a fold of her robes nervously. _How can I ask Draco what he saw in the potion? I know he had to have seen something, but what? Who?_

Ron watched her go, worry in his eyes. She hadn't even said hi to him or to Harry, and that was really not like her. "I'm going to go talk to her." He hurried on up to the tower, eager to let her know that she didn't have to hang around with Malfoy any longer. Oh, sure, she _thought_ she liked him, but it wasn't real love. He was almost walking on air just from the thought of being with her again. 

He knocked quickly on her room door, opening it when he heard her permission. "Hey, Hermione!" The young redhead bounced eagerly. Hermione didn't even look up at him; she simply kept on unpacking her things. "Did you do the potion that we were working on?" That was a good place to start things off, he thought. 

"Yes." She glanced over at him curiously. "You want to know if I saw Draco in it, don't you?" Ron gaped at her for a moment, then shrugged and nodded. 

"Well, did you?" It was a logical question, after all. Even if Harry had flat out refused to tell him who he had seen. Not that Ron could blame him, deep down. If someone else found out about whoever it was the Boy-Who-Lived had seen, that person would probably get beaten down by the rest of Harry's fan club. He gaped even more as Hermione nodded firmly. "Are you _sure_ about that?" 

She gave him a fairly nasty look. "Would I lie to you, Ron Weasley??" He looked a bit hesitant, and the look got even nastier. "Thanks for the great vote of confidence!" 

This really wasn't going the way he thought it would. "Well, I saw _you_ so I don't think that you could've seen _him_!" 

"I know what I saw, Ron. Are you all that sure that you saw me?" 

He nodded sharply. He'd known her for seven years, how could he _not_ be sure? "How do you know that he saw you?" She just shook her head, and Ron grinned smugly. "So I _could_ have seen you!" 

Hermione sighed just a bit. "I have other things on my mind right now, Ron." 

"Like _him_?" 

"Like my mother, which, by the way, thanks for asking how she is." Hermione snapped sharply, her eyes sparking angrily. "I'm sure she appreciates your concern!" 

Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing. What did _that_ have to do with anything?? "I figured if you were here, then she was all right!" Any idiot would've figured that! _Guess this means that she's not just any idiot._

"You still could have asked!" 

He took a deep breath. Things weren't going the way they had in his fantasies. In them, she'd begged his forgiveness, told him she was never going to see Malfoy again, and after that things got a little naughty. That was so very not happening here. "I'm sorry. Hermione, do you think...well...do you think that we could try again? Try dating again?" This was it, she was going to take his hands and smile sweetly and tell him that she'd love to... 

"Ron, you dumped me for another woman! How in blazes can I trust you not to do that to me again?" Okay, maybe she hadn't gotten the script...but he could fix that. 

"The same way that I can trust you not to turn into a Slytherin just because _Draco_ smiles nicely at you." The amount of venom he put in Malfoy's name had seven years of seasoning on it. It tasted pretty hideous coming out, too. 

She just rolled her eyes. "How do you know that I won't turn him into a Gryffindor?" 

Ron stared at her for a few moments in shock. "Excuse me. I have a friend to find. Her name is Hermione Granger. I don't see her anywhere around here." 

"Can't you be happy for me?" Hermione's voice cut deep into Ron, somehow reminding him of all the things they'd done together over the years. 

Then something else occurred to him. "Happy for you? For _what_? Suddenly being all over someone who has insulted you for seven years, done his best to get us all in trouble every chance he could, _just_ because I dumped you? I didn't think you were _that_ selfish, Hermione. I can't see why you weren't put in Slytherin in the first place. _Any means to achieve the end_. Sounds like the way you've been acting. And that's not the Hermione I like. But I guess that's okay with you. I'm too poor and not good looking enough for you now." 

As he walked out, the door slamming firmly behind him, Hermione sighed. "He's not like what everyone sees." She curled up on the bed, her entire body shaking with the tears she couldn't yet bring herself to shed for what felt like an hour. _I can't stay like this forever. I've got to **do** something._

She got to her feet and pulled her broom out of the trunk, then headed outside. Just a few inches from her door was a small pile of things that she recognized as having been given to Ron by her over the years. She glared at the stack for a few moments, then pulled out her wand. One quick banishing spell later, and it was at a landfill she knew of. _Best place for it._

The Quidditch pitch was empty at the moment, causing her to be quite grateful for small mercies. The last thing she really wanted was to have to deal with one of the Quidditch teams trying to practice. She quickly got onto her broom and took off, aiming for the sky. 

Her trip was rather rudely interrupted, however, as a dark figure loomed up in front of her, and a harsh voice snapped, "Watch where you're flying!" "Sorry." The word came to her lips without thought, then she saw who it was she'd had her near accident with: Draco. He hovered in front of her, his gray eyes calm and composed as always, just as she remembered him. "Who did you see in your potion?" She asked at last, scraping for something to say. 

One eyebrow lifted slightly. "Why?" A faintly rippling shrug indicated her curiosity, and that seemed to be just enough. "Someone I didn't expect. You?" 

"The same." Hermione fiddled with her broomstick a little absently. "I'm just glad it wasn't Ron." 

Draco's other eyebrow lifted now. "I don't blame you. I wouldn't have wanted to see the Weasel either." 

She grinned. "He _says_ that he saw me, but how can that be if I didn't see him? Usually your true love will see you if you see them in the potion. There's only been one time when it hasn't been. Her true love was someone who had died three hundred years earlier." The thought of seeing something like that was horrible. There were reasons the potion wasn't one commonly done, after all, and one of them was that not everyone wanted to know what their future held for them. Hermione fiddled with the stick again, then looked at him. "Want to race?" 

"Certainly." A gleam shone in his eyes that she had only caught occasional glimpses of during Quidditch matches. 

She glanced about for a moment, checking for a really good length. "To the edge of the forest and back here at the Quidditch pitch?" He nodded his agreement and they lined up side by side. "On your mark...get set...HEY!!" She glared at his quickly moving ahead back, then shot off after him. A few moments later she had passed him and soared to the forest's edge, then pulled back around and was back on the Quidditch pitch in a few heartbeats, hopping gracefully off of her broom. 

"You're getting better." He told her as he landed beside her, a faint smile on his thin lips. Hermione nodded lightly. 

"I've got a good teacher." She leaned forward and brushed her lips across his for a few moments. He returned it firmly and thoroughly, and the two of them held each other for a moment. When she moved away, she found herself looking in his storm-like eyes. "You have a strange effect on me. I can't explain." 

Draco smirked. "It's my amazing good looks. They affect everyone like that." 

"Not your looks. It's that kiss of yours." She reached up and touched his lips briefly with one finger. "So soft." They stood there quietly for a few moments, her finger still on his. "Who did you see?" 

"I'll tell you later." He promised. She could feel that he meant it, but she still wasn't satisfied. 

"When?" 

"When it's time to tell you." 

She nodded in agreement, then kissed him again. "How has Slytherin taken to you dating your archenemy?" 

His voice was as dry as the most barren of deserts. "I'm not dating Potter." 

"Okay!" She laughed; that had been rather silly of her, after all. "How do they feel about you dating _me_? A 'Mudblood'?" 

Draco shrugged. "I think the fact I told them if they disapproved of what I chose to do, I'd use them to practice Transfiguration on, and let Longbottom practice his Potions on anything that was left, kept anyone who wanted to disagree shut up." 

Oh, she could just _see_ him telling the Slytherin common room that! "You're having a better time than I am. Ron said that I should be worried about you turning me into a Slytherin, and that I'm only out for myself." She still felt like slapping the redhead. "The git." 

He shrugged a little. "What did you expect?" It was fairly obvious that the rivalry between him and her two best friends wasn't going to change just because they were getting along a little better. 

"True." She chuckled a little, and noticed him looking at her curiously. "I was still upset over what Ron was like before I left. So when I got home, I got everything he'd ever given me and burned it all. He returned the favor before I came out here, too." She shook her head slightly. "Why are some men such asses?" 

Draco didn't seem offended by the question. "I could ask why some women are such bitches." 

"We just are." 

His eyes touched her for a heartbeat. "I wasn't necessarily referring to you." 

"Oh, I can be one at times, though. It's called PMS." She picked up her broom and made a show of checking it for wear and tear. "What excuse do men have, though?" 

Draco had an answer for her, of sorts. "When women are bitchy and it's not that time of the month, what's their excuse?" 

That hadn't occurred to her very seriously. "Some women just are. Same reason for men?" Draco nodded slightly, and she smiled in relief. "You are so easy to talk to at times." 

"Simple logic." The young Slytherin looked almost as if he would have expected her to know this in the first place. The more she thought about it, the more she knew he was right. Some people just _were_ annoying. Ron was probably one of them. 

"So, is that offer to teach me Quidditch still open?" Hermione asked, and got a nod back. "I think I'm going to take you up on it." She glanced over at the sun and frowned a little. _I must have spent more time than I thought upset at Ron. It's getting late._ "We should head in for dinner." 

The crowd inside the Great Hall was just like it always was, hot, noisy, and not paying attention to anything that wasn't edible. Hermione watched Draco for a moment as he headed over to the Slytherin table, then found herself an empty space in between Harry and Ginny. Ron didn't seem to be there, but that was all to the good. She didn't want to see him right now. 

"Hi, Ginny," she greeted the youngest Weasley with a friendly smile. They hadn't really talked much over the years, in comparison to how much she associated with Ron and Harry, but there was a kind of connection between them that made for friendly conversation when they did. "Anything interesting go on today?" 

"Not really." Ginny shrugged as she poked at the food on her plate. "What about you?" From the way that her eyes flicked between Hermione and Draco, what she _really_ wanted to know was obvious. 

"Mom's coming home in a week," Hermione almost sparkled at the thought. "And Ron is royally ticked off at me." 

Ron's sister didn't look all that impressed. "Ron can get ticked off at nothing. It's just him." 

"I know." Hermione started to eat, her thoughts going here and there. _I know Harry likes Ginny. I wonder if he's told her yet._ There was a subtle way to find out. She glanced over at her dark haired friend casually. "Harry, how did you do with that potion while I was gone?" The light flush, and the way his eyes shot over to Ginny, told her everything she wanted to know. She dropped her voice down so Ginny couldn't hear her, though that was going to be a bit difficult since they were right next to each other. "Why don't you tell her?" He looked a little panicked just at the thought of it, and she took pity on him. "Tell me about it later?" That got her a nod, then Ginny tugged on her sleeve a little. 

"Just what _is_ going on between you and Ron? He hasn't been this stubborn in a couple of years." Ginny wanted to know. Hermione shook her head. 

"He's being a pompous ass." 

"Five points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for bad language," The rumbling voice of Professor Snape told her as he walked past them towards the Head Table. Hermione snickered softly; it would stand to reason the first time she got points taken off for a while would be because of something connected to Ron. That was just the kind of situation this was. 

She steadied herself, then looked back at Ginny. "Did Ron tell you or your parents why we broke up?" Ginny shook her head, looking quite eager to find out herself. "He was seeing someone else while he was seeing me, and dumped me for her, right after that Christmas party." Her fists clenched on her cup for a moment. "He broke my heart." 

Ginny patted her hand softly. "I'm sorry." Sincerity colored her every word, and Hermione could almost see the wheels of vengeance churning in her head. Not for nothing was Ginny a Weasley...with the blood of Fred and George running in her veins. 

"Well, I'm starting to get over it. Thanks to Draco." Ginny didn't need to know it had started out just as a sham and revenge. Even if that's all it ever was, his attentions had helped her feel better. "He's different from what most people think he's like." Different didn't even begin to describe it. 

"Hermione?" She looked up to see Ron standing there, somewhat nervously. "Let's talk." 

She thought for a moment, then nodded and stood up. "Not here." Together they headed out of the Great Hall, to a conversation that needed to be had. 

**To Be Continued**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

As soon as they entered the Gryffindor common Room, Hermione turned on her ex-boyfriend, pinning him with a very annoyed icy gaze. "Well?" 

Ron shifted a little, then looked her in the eyes. "I'm sorry for what I said before." At least he'd learned not to let things fester for so long. That was _one_ good thing she could say about him. 

"You know I'm still _really_ ticked off for what you did to me with Karen, right?" He nodded again, and her opinion of him adjusted from 'ready to hex' to 'not quite as ready to hex'. "I know what I'm doing, Ron," she reminded him as she took a seat before the crackling fire. "I know what I saw, and I will _not_ turn into a Slytherin." He murmured something that was probably 'good', but she wasn't done yet. "I know that you and I have no chance in hell of ever getting back together. You broke my heart, and the trust I had in you. I don't know if you can gain either back right now." 

"I know what I saw, too, Hermione." There was that stubborn thrust to his jaw, that could be endearing and annoying by turns. 

"Forget it, Ron, please." She shook her head. He was being a prat about this, but not quite as bad as he _had_ been being. 

Ron clenched his fists and leaned a little closer to her. "Why? Because it's something you don't want and I'm supposed to just give in to whatever you want?" 

"I don't love you." The words didn't hurt the way she'd once thought they would. They just felt right. "Not anymore. I'm sorry, but I don't." 

His fists slowly came unclenched as he looked away. "Fine. So you're willing to believe what you saw, but not what _I_ saw. Pretty one-sided, aren't you?" His ears were getting redder and redder with every word. "Besides, aren't you the one who dumped Divination? So why would you believe something that's trying to ordain your future...except it just so _happens_ to be something you want to hear!" 

"I didn't say I believed it. I just said that I don't love you." 

He wasn't backing down on this one, though. "But you do believe it." 

"I don't know what to believe from that. I have no idea who he saw, he won't tell me until the 'time is right'." She was bound and determined to get him to say something to her after the family weekend in spring if nothing else. If it took more than four months for things 'to be right', then she'd have something to say to him, and it wouldn't be very pleasant when she did. "I do know that he's different than I thought he would be. We have some things in common." 

Ron tilted his head slightly. "Like what?" The thought that Malfoy could have something in common with someone he knew was a little on the strange side, except of course for both he and Harry being Seekers for their respective teams. But other than that... 

"We like the same Quidditch team." Hermione smiled at the thought. _I do hope he was serious about teaching me._ "And we both love to fly." 

The young Weasley almost glared her. "You never told me that you liked to fly!" He _really_ looked upset by that! She just shook her head. 

"You never asked." She'd done most of her flying when the boys were off drooling over girls or Quidditch or whatever else it was they were drooling over that week, anyway. It helped her to relax after a hard day of studying. 

Ron's near-glare turned into a full glare. "Why should I have had to ask? We're friends, I shouldn't have to ask you _everything!_" 

"It just never came up with us," Hermione reminded him. "He asked me to fly, that's how it came up with me and him." 

"So, he gets extra points just because it happened to come up with him and not me? Do you know how stupid that is? If you'd wanted me to know you could've told me. But I just don't count?" The bitterness in his voice was thick enough to spread on bread and eat. 

A deep sigh escaped her. Why was this being so _hard_? "It's not that. I don't know why I never told you and I'm sorry that I didn't, but that's the past. I can't change what happened between us." 

"Neither can I." Ron reminded her. "I wasn't trying to. I want to know why you're all over him." 

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at him. "You're going to be upset by this." She waited for a moment, then kept going. "He's a great kisser. And I mean _great_." He snorted derisively, and Hermione shook her head. "I told that you'd be upset." 

"So that's all." Both of them looked over towards the portrait hole as it slid open, revealing Harry clambering in. Hermione gazed back into the fire contemplatively. 

"Well, that's why I'm kissing him a lot." It was quite true. Draco's lips might look cold and thin, but there was absolutely no way to describe how they could make her feel. 

Ron waved one hand dismissively. "So his personality sucks but he has great lips. I can just see the love there." The sarcasm hadn't gotten any thinner. 

"I kind of like being with him too." Hermione considered that for a few moments. "It's kind of hard to explain that, really. I just feel it." She looked back at Ron. "Why did you like being with Karen more than me?" The only answer sent was a casual shrug. "And when she dumped you, did you just expect me to be here waiting for you?" 

Ron looked shocked, if not a little hurt, by that. "No, I didn't!" That was unusual, at least for him. Maybe he wasn't quite taking her for granted anymore. 

"Then why are you trying to hard to get me back? Because I'm with _Draco_?" Hermione turned slightly so she could see him more clearly and make sure he wasn't even trying to lie to her. 

He shook his head sharply. "Because I _saw_ you!" 

Hermione stood up, then accio'd a picture into her hands from her trunk. "Are you all that sure?" He grabbed it instinctively as she shoved it at him, then she looked to Harry. "Want to talk upstairs? I've got some questions about the Family Weekend." 

With Harry's agreement, they headed up to her room, leaving Ron staring at the picture, which seemed to have two nearly identical Hermiones looking back at him in it. 

Once the two of them were up in her room, with the door firmly shut between them and Ron, Hermione asked one major question first. "Why won't you tell Ginny?" That got a blush and a looking away and she grinned. In Harry-speak, that meant only one thing. "Ron?" 

"Right. That's his sister, and he likes to be protective of her. I know he won't be _upset_ once he gets a chance to get adjusted, but I just don't know if now is the right time to let her know. Or him." Harry had obviously been thinking about this for a while. 

"Tell her. I don't think he'd mind, and even so, he can't be more mad at you than he is at me right now." Hermione suggested. _He'd probably **not** be all that upset because of how mad he is at me. He wouldn't want to be mad at both of us._

The Boy Who Lived and Beat Voldemort To A Bloody Pulp sighed. "I'd rather he wasn't mad at either of us, much less both of us." 

"There's no changing that we are mad at each other, and to be honest, I'm sort of miffed at you, too." Hermione told him. "For hanging around him more than me when _I_ needed a friend." 

Harry shook his head. "You've been with Malfoy more than anyone else, Hermione." 

"Only since Christmas Eve. Ron and I broke up almost three weeks before that." 

The young wizard sighed. "He needed a friend, too. I can't split myself." 

"I know. But it would've been nice to have someone to talk to who knew what was going on. He had you. I had no one." She hardly noticed that tears were dripping down her cheeks until Harry brushed them away, then squeezed her hand lightly. He'd always been one of her best friends, and she was glad that hadn't changed. Then something else occurred to her. "Your aunt is coming to the Family Weekend, or so I've heard. Well, she's been invited at least." 

Harry shivered just a little. She knew that things had been getting slightly better between Harry and his relatives, or at least had been since his uncle had died almost a year earlier. Petunia wasn't exactly an angel to him, but she wasn't _quite_ as bitter and bitchy as she had been. Hermione wiped a few more of her tears away and smiled at him briefly. "I seem to be doing that a lot." 

"Must be a girl thing," Harry teased, and she smacked him gently. "Hey!!" 

She glowered at him for a moment. "I've been under a lot of stress, between staying caught up, my mom, and this whole mess with Ron." When she thought about everything she was doing, it almost felt as if she had the Time Turner again, going over and over and over and over and over. 

Harry looked at her worriedly. "What happened with your mom?" 

"She has ovarian cancer." Hermione looked away, just catching Harry paling. "They didn't know if they could do the surgery cause she also has a weak heart, but Madame Pomfrey helped out on that part." She glanced out the window and smiled a touch. Draco was down there, hiding behind a tree once he saw that he'd been seen. "You'll want to owl your aunt and let her know about her options for where to stay while she's here. My parents are coming so if they agree, they might be able to pick her up." She looked over at Harry, a touch of worry in her eyes. "I wish I knew why I can't stand being away from him." 

He stepped a bit closer to her. "I'm not trying to be insulting, but this _is_ kind of sudden, so...are you really sure that this is what you want?" 

Hermione could tell what he was asking. "If you want to know if he drugged me or put a spell on me, he didn't. This is my own free will." 

"Are you sure? Would he tell you if he had?" 

Hermione nodded quite firmly. "He didn't. I know he didn't, Harry." It was a little hard to explain just how she could be so sure, since she didn't think he'd be all that thrilled to find out it had gotten started for revenge and convenience, but she was honest, at least. She knew it wasn't magic. "Why would he, anyway?" 

"Just because we don't know doesn't mean there's not a reason." For a moment he looked so sad and so distant, and she recalled that they hadn't know for years just why Voldemort had been after him, only that he _had_ been. The rough parallels were plain. "After all, his reason _could_ just be the three of us not being the three of us: what's happening now. And like I said, just because we can't think of the reason doesn't mean there isn't one." 

"I know." Hermione turned towards the window and stared out, seeing Draco again. A few murmured words and a soft thump told her that Harry had gone and closed the door behind him, but she didn't check. She was watching Draco too much. He had produced his broom from somewhere, and he flew a little, rising above the treetops to come closer to her window. 

"Hello." He wore his usual trademark smirk and she nodded back at him. 

"Enjoying yourself?" Her sight flicked for a moment to the broom, then back up to him. 

"Very much so. And yourself?" He looked so nonchalant as he hovered there, his grip firm and strong. She leaned against the window to see him a bit better. 

"Sort of. I talked to Ron and Harry, though with Harry it was more for that Family Weekend in spring." She was definitely looking forward to seeing how her family took Hogwarts. They were so nervous still about the wizarding world she was devoted to. 

Draco nodded slightly, his eyes moving past her to look at the room behind her. She noticed him looking a trifle surprised about something and was about to ask what it was. Before she could, though, he looked back at her. "Nice outfit there." 

She glanced over her shoulder to see what he was looking at and smiled. "My nightgown? It was a birthday gift from one of my cousins. It's pretty comfortable." It was also a short, silk/lace fantasy that made her very glad at times she had a private room now. She glanced back at Draco, and noticed that his grip on the broom was just a little tighter. "Something on your mind?" 

"You might say that." His sarcastic smirk broadened for a moment, almost reaching the stage of true smile, but it failed by a large margin. 

"You can't imagine me in something so revealing, can you?" She taunted him lightly. She was certain he'd never dreamed about her or anything like that, but Lavender and Parvati had definitely thought there was something odd about her having it. 

He chuckled just a little. "Oh, I don't know. I'm not having that many problems with it." 

"It shows off my tattoo very well." Oh, that was interesting. He'd almost fallen off of his broom. He'd saved himself in time, though. 

"Tattoo?" If she hadn't known better, she would have thought there was a flicker of curiosity going through those pale eyes. 

"I got it after our fourth year, in the small of my back. It's a butterfly." She grinned teasingly at his expression. "Surprised?" He must have been; he actually admitted to it with a brief nod. "I'll have to write this down: the day a Muggleborn surprised a Malfoy." 

He rolled his eyes a little. "I would hope you at least had it done at a reputable wizarding tattoo shop. I've heard stories about those disgusting Muggle places." 

"Actually, it _was_ a Muggle place. My uncle did it." She stuck her tongue out at him, knowing it was childish, when he rolled his eyes at her, and was surprised when he leaned closer and kissed her softly once. "It's starting to get dark, and I have a little more homework to finish." She didn't really want him to go, but she did have things to do. "I'll see you around." 

"See you, 'Mione," he said softly. She smiled a bit as he pulled back, then turned and started to change for bed. In a few short moments she was curled up with the rest of her homework, and hard at work on her Arithmancy notes. 

* * *

_That nightgown...that tattoo..._ Draco's thoughts ran in circles as he headed back inside. Before the doors shut behind him, he cast an annoyed glance at the dark blue sky. _I wish it were snowing. I could fall into a nice snowdrift right about now._

He ignored the few people he passed until he reached the Slytherin common room and grabbed a set of spare robes. He didn't even pay the slightest bit of attention to Crabbe and Goyle, vaguely recalling having told them not to crowd so close; he didn't like breathing the same air that they did. Not that it mattered; they might leave him alone for now, but they'd be back when he least wanted them around. 

There were other things on his mind right now, such as the ice-cold shower he _really_ needed. Once he got into the nearest boy's bathroom, he turned on the water as cold as he could get it, stripped, and ducked himself under it. 

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy wondered for years afterwards just where that horrific scream had come from in that moment. Peeves wound up taking the credit for it, but no one really believed him. 

"It might help if you turned the water to warm," Draco glanced briefly behind himself to notice Goyle there. _I didn't know they could go anywhere by themselves. They're worse than the twin Weasels were._

"I don't want it warm." Draco hissed dangerously. He _needed_ this shock to his system after what he'd seen. He turned his gaze back to the frigid water, letting it run all over him, and ignored Goyle very pointedly. _He's probably going to say something to Father. Not that I care. I've got other things to worry about than **him**._

Once he was finally under control again, he turned the water off, dried, and redressed. _That should hold me for a while. I wonder if I still have those art supplies Mother sneaked to me last year. I think I want to do a little drawing._

* * *

Lucius Malfoy looked up as the owl hooted just before it flew in and dropped the letter it was carrying into a basket. _It must be from Crabbe or Goyle. They're the only ones I know who would send me an owl and not be able to tie it to the creature's leg._

He opened up the message and worked his way through the half-literate words carefully. _So, this is what Draco has been doing lately._

"What's the matter?" Lucius looked up to see Narissa there, one of the house-elves standing beside her holding a cup of something or other. "That's from one of Draco's friends, isn't it?" He nodded as he handed her the letter, and she read it quickly. "Hermione. Isn't she that pretty little Gryffindor girl?" 

The master of Malfoy Manor snorted. "The Mudblood." The Dark Lord might have been gone, but his contempt for all those of non-magical blood remained the same. 

"Watch your language." Narcissa reproved him. "I don't permit our son to say that in the house and neither should you." 

Lucius rolled his eyes; Narcissa had some of the strangest ideas sometimes. "Very well. The...Muggleborn." 

"From what Draco's told me in his letters, she's as smart as he is. She might be good for our son, and if I remember, your parents weren't all that eager to see _us_ married." Narcissa reminded her husband. Lucius sniffed dismissively. 

"I doubt she's _that_ good." She was just a Mudblood after all, and he'd say it and think it and believe it no matter what Narcissa decreed. 

His wife put the letter down carefully. "We'll have the chance to meet her when we go out there for the Family Weekend in spring. And don't even _think_ about going out there before then." She gave him a cool look. "I know you, Lucius." He simply shrugged and she nodded slightly. "I have some things to do. Coming to bed soon?" 

"Of course." 

Narcissa smiled seductively at him as she headed into their adjoining bedroom, and Lucius shook his head. She might have odd ideas, but he also loved her for them. _That's what I get for marrying the Head Girl of her year. If she wasn't so much a Slytherin, I'd almost say she should have been a Ravenclaw._ He quickly penned a letter to go to Draco, not saying who had told him anything, but wanting to know just what was going on with this Granger girl. He sipped absently at the cup the house-elf and left and blinked. "Coffee. I'll be up most of the night with this." 

"That's the idea." Narissa poked her head back in and grinned at him. Lucius smiled for a heartbeat, then quickly finished the letter and sent it on it's way. He had a very busy night ahead of him, it seemed, and he didn't want to be late for it at all. 

**To Be Continued**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Draco carefully sketched a slightly curved arm, and frowned. _I can't concentrate like I want to. That shower didn't really do as much good as it should have. I still keep thinking about her._ Of course that could also be because he was drawing her. Or to be precise, he was drawing the image of her with her back turned, with that beautiful butterfly there. 

The soft flutter of wings interrupted him as the family's owl flew in. There was only one person who would send him something at this hour of the night. "What does he want _this_ time?" He untied the letter from the owl's leg and glanced at the feathered mail carrier. "Go on, I don't have time to write back to him tonight." 

As it flew away, he unfolded the letter and read through it quickly. 

_My dear Draco, _

I do hope that you are well and that your studies have been profitable. I've heard from my sources that you seem to be spending slightly more time than is appropriate with a certain Hermione Granger. I believe I don't have to remind you of the difficulties that could come about if you make an unwise decision in your love life, and as we both know, one such as her would **not** be a wise decision. 

Your mother and I will be coming to the Parents' Weekend in April. Please have a suitable mate chosen by then. I'm certain you know the consequences of failure. 

Your father, 

Lucius Malfoy 

Draco glared at the letter; it was obvious who had been in touch with his father. There was no one else it could be. "Goyle." He threw the letter against the wall, then went back to his drawing. There was something very satisfying in denying his father, even in this small way. 

Slender streams of golden sunshine slid into Hermione's room, brushing briefly across her eyes before moving on. She shifted around a little, her mind stirring out of sleep, then sat up. _Morning._ The first thing she noticed was Crookshanks curled up on her leg, flexing his claws just a little as he slept. _He does this every morning._ She carefully pushed her cat off of her before getting out of bed, and in true cat fashion he curled up where she was and went right back to sleep. 

_That scream last night sounded like Draco. I'll have to talk to him about it._ She didn't think he was prone to nightmares or anything else, but the fact it had quite obviously been loud enough to be heard from the Slytherin dungeons up to where she was in the Gryffindor Tower worried her. 

Hermione quickly gathered up the things she needed and headed into the shower room. _I love mornings. At least until everyone else starts to get up._ The silence gave her lots of time to think and to plan out her day, and the warm feeling of hot water all around her was pure bliss. She closed her eyes and let it wash all over her, wiping her mind clean of all kinds of stress. This was just so nice. 

"Hermione?" She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed Ginny coming in. She _did_, however, notice when she lost her footing and slammed down on the tiled floor. "Sorry about that!" 

Hermione shrugged a little as she got up. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault." She rubbed her rear end lightly; that had _not_ felt good. 

"When did you get the tattoo?" Ginny wondered, heading over to a bench and putting her things down. 

The older witch carefully rubbed her hair through a towel, doing her best to get all the tangles out of it. "After my fourth year. Do you like it?" Ginny nodded slightly, a faintly amazed look in her eyes. Hermione sighed briefly as she sat down on the same bench to tug her shoes on. "Thanks. You know, I think your brother officially hates me now. And I'm not all that certain if I want him as a friend if this is how he's going to act." She glanced at Ginny, then stiffened as something else occurred to her. "What is your father going to say about his daughter's friend dating a Malfoy?" 

Ginny shrugged a little. She knew that Hermione had always valued her own parents' opinion of her, and this was definitely going to be a shock. "I'm not all that sure. I know that you're a smart person and wouldn't let him do anything to hurt you, but you know how Dad and Mr. Malfoy can be." 

"I know." Hermione glanced down for a moment. "Draco is nothing like he acts. Well, he is but he isn't. He doesn't let people inside his head too often. I've only seen a little bit of it myself." She considered for a moment, thinking over things. "He's a puzzle...and a wonderful kisser!" 

The youngest Weasley laughed. "That's a good trait in a guy!" 

"You're right." Hermione stood up and grabbed her towel. _Glad it's the weekend and we don't have to wear the robes._ Since this was the first Christmas since Voldemort's defeat, a _few_ rules had been relaxed, but not many. You could still only go to Hogsmeade on certain weekends, but no one was going to pass out at the sight of a few people running around in non-school robes or something of that nature. "Look, meet me tonight after dinner, and we'll chat?" It had been quite a while since she'd had a long talk with another female. 

Ginny nodded. "Sure, no problem." 

"I'm going to be meeting Draco before breakfast." Hermione's lips twitched a little. "I hope he doesn't mind." 

"Was he the one who screamed last night?" Ginny wondered. Her friend nodded. 

"I'm almost certain, and I want to know why." Hermione started to get dressed carefully. _I hope no one faints at the sight of this. I don't know **what** Samantha was doing sending it to me, she knows we don't usually wear Muggle clothes here. But one day won't hurt. It **is** the weekend._ She carefully adjusted the blue jeans and tank top, then headed out to the Great Hall. This was going to take some guts. But she wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing. 

As soon as she got into the Great Hall, she looked over at the Slytherin table. Draco sat there, strapping a note to his eagle owl's leg, then sent it off. 

"Draco!" She headed over to him quickly, glancing up and down to make sure he was unharmed. "How are you? You are all right, aren't you?" 

He raised one eyebrow at her. "Why wouldn't I be?" 

"I think half of the country heard your scream last night." Hermione told him. He just shrugged as he sipped his pumpkin juice. 

"What scream?" 

She wasn't buying it, but if he wanted to pretend, she could. "You didn't hear it?" 

"Apparently not." 

Hermione shrugged. "Weird. So, what are your plans for today?" 

"A couple of assignments I need to finish." He touched the stack of books beside him, and she nodded. He put in as much work as she did to maintain his grades. Well, almost as much. She still suspected he had some kind of deal going with Snape for potions. "You?" 

"I'm going for a ride after breakfast, then homework. I'm supposed to have a chat with Ginny after dinner, too." She met his eyes firmly. "Would you like to join me for a quick ride?" 

The frost-haired Slytherin nodded casually, as if the two of them did this every day of the week. "Certainly." His eyes flicked briefly over to the Gryffindor table, then back to her. "I believe you told your House about us, correct?" 

She nodded. "Yes. Before I left. Why?" 

He jerked his head slightly across the Great Hall. "Then why are they staring at us?" She glanced the way he was indicating, turning her back on him for a moment. _What in the world is their problem?_

"I'm going to have to take another cold shower," she heard Draco murmuring from behind her, and turned to look at him sternly. 

"Cold shower? Just _what_ did you see last night?" 

For a moment she wondered if he were going to deny it again, then he shrugged. "Everything." 

Well, that was nice, he'd...he'd what? "Everything?" He nodded slightly, and Hermione's cheeks began to burn. "And...a cold shower was what you were screaming about?" There was the slightest nod of his head. "Maybe we'll have a storm while we're riding and you won't have to worry about that shower." 

He nodded once more, just a quick jerk of his head, his gaze occupied at the moment by his pumpkin juice. She headed over to the Gryffindor table, glaring slightly at them. 

"What is _wrong_ with you guys?" Her gaze was fixed right on Ron and Harry, both of whom suddenly seemed more interested in their plates than anything else. "Spill it, Ron!" 

He jumped a little. "When did you get a tattoo?" 

"Oh, that." She glanced at her shirt and realized that the way it was cut, her back and her decoration were both highly visible. "After our fourth year as an early birthday present. I thought I wrote you about it." Both of them shook their heads and she blinked as she sat down to one side of Harry. _I could've sworn..._ "Sorry. I really thought I did." 

Ron muttered as he forked some food into his mouth, "It's all right. Everyone makes mistakes." He gulped, then coughed some as the food tried to go down the wrong way. Hermione glanced back over at Draco, and chuckled a little as she saw him having the same problems that Ron was. 

"Is something wrong with the food?" Ginny came in and sat down next to her brother. "No one's eating." 

Harry shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong with it." He stared into his plate as intently as if he were trying to burn a hole through it with his eyes alone. 

"Then why isn't anyone eating?" Ginny wondered. Harry glanced at Hermione for a moment, and the younger girl followed his gaze. "Hermione?" 

Hermione glanced back at her. "Huh?" She had no idea what the heck Harry was talking about! 

"Tattoo." The Boy Who Lived murmured lightly, and his friend blinked. Oh, that thing again. Really, you'd think they'd never seen someone who had one done before. 

She pushed her plate away, her appetite suddenly gone. "Just so you know, this was my little secret, and I am allowed them. I got it because I wanted it, nothing else." She stood up carefully. "And I'm not hungry. Excuse me." 

No one said anything as she left. Hermione could almost _hear_ the deafening silence, until the doors closed behind her. She stared out at the vast expanse of green before the castle, an unusual sort of calm surrounding her. _I don't care that this was supposed to be some kind of sham relationship. That's not what I want anymore._

She knew he was there without having to hear the doors open and close quite silently. She just knew it was him. "Looks like rain." The early morning sunshine was now being hidden behind thickening clouds. Typical weather. "You won't need that shower." She murmured softly. 

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Draco murmured back to her. She grinned ever so faintly. 

"Still want to go?" She caught his nod out of the corner of her eye, then blushed in memory of what had been going on in the Great Hall. "You know, I never knew I had that kind of effect on people." 

He snorted briefly. "What _do_ you know about yourself? Not much from what I've seen." 

"I know." Hermione glanced away for a moment, then looked back at him. "I'm learning, though." She stepped towards the doors and smiled. "Let's go fly. I feel the need for speed." 

Before too long they were over the Quidditch pitch, soaring easily. Hermione stroked the broomstick almost lovingly and smiled. _This feels so right. So completely right._ Maybe she should've taken up recreational flying a lot sooner. Who knows, it might have even helped her get through third year without halfway losing her mind with the Time Turner. 

She glanced over at Draco and smiled briefly, then something caught her eye. Someone was below them on the pitch, someone she couldn't place as a student. They were too big and burly to even be seventh years, and none of the teachers were quite like this. 

Whoever it was pointed a wand at them, and she heard a faint _Stupefy_ coming up. Her head snapped around to where Draco was, just in time to see him falling off of his broom. _No!_ She zoomed as swiftly as she could towards him, barely hearing another Stupefy. 

She did feel it, though, as a cloak of dark warmth wrapping over and blocking out everything. 

Minerva McGonnagal stepped out of her office and closed the door behind her. _I suppose I should be grading those essays but I need a little fresh air._ Even she liked to relax once in a while. _I might have to speak with Miss Granger about that tattoo of hers. It's all well and good if she wants body art, but I don't think it's something that should be flashed around the Great Hall like that. I almost believe I caught Severus staring at it!_

"Professor!" She turned slightly to see Harry Potter racing up to her. "Professor! I was watching Hermione and Malfoy flying, and someone kidnapped them! Whoever it was used _Stupefy_, then they vanished. I think they must have had an Invisibility Cloak." 

McGonnagal frowned darkly. _It can't be Death Eaters, none of them could've gotten past the Hogwarts' wards anyway. This is something else._ "Follow me, Potter." She headed for the dungeon, Potter on her heels, and banged on Snape's door. "Severus, I need your assistance. Two students have been hurt and possibly kidnapped." 

The Potions Master raised one eyebrow slightly. "And just who might those two students _be_?" 

"Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy were attacked while they were flying over the Quidditch pitch. Mr. Potter here saw them, and informed me." 

Snape turned his gaze on Harry darkly, and Minerva remembered vividly several other occasions where he had turned his well-practiced vitriolic tongue on the younger boy for far less than this. "Very well." She was surprised by his calm, however. "Let us see what has been going on." 

The three of them hurried out to the pitch, and the first thing that caught McGonnagal's eye was a shattered broom. She glanced down at it, shuddering when she saw a smear of red liquid along the handle. She didn't even have to sniff it in cat form to recognize it for what it was: blood. "Harry, please go get Professor Dumbledore. Ask him to come here, but don't tell anyone just yet. Until we know more, this has to remain a secret." 

As soon as the seventh year had gone, Minerva turned back to her colleague. "There has to be some kind of sign, if only a footprint. Whoever this is, they can't have gotten away _that_ cleanly." 

Snape made no verbal comment, but started to search the area for any signs. She did the same thing, taking a different area and her cat form in order to sniff out any strange scents. 

"What has happened?" Both turned to see Albus Dumbledore coming towards them, a fire burning in his eyes. Snape strode over and quickly filled him in on what they had discovered so far, which was a depressingly small list. "We must contact their parents," the Headmaster decided. "And perhaps we should have a familiar face inform Miss Granger's family, as her mother has not yet fully recovered from her illness." 

McGonnagal nodded, shifting back to her human form. "Perhaps Potter could?" 

"I believe the Weasleys would be a better choice, since they know each other somewhat. Snape, I wish you and Hagrid to join forces in the search. Use Fang, he may be a coward, but he has a good nose." Dumbledore declared. Snape sniffled slightly, but nodded his agreement. "Minvera, please owl the Weasleys and see if they could come here. I will contact the Malfoys." 

As the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress headed inside, Snape strode firmly towards Hagrid's door. This was not something he particularly _enjoyed_ doing, but it was what was necessary. He rapped firmly on the half-giant's door, hearing the incessant barking of Fang as he did so. 

"Professor Snape?" Hagrid blinked at him as he opened the door. "What can I do for ya today?" 

"It appears that Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger have gotten themselves into some kind of trouble, and the Headmaster has decreed that we are to search for them." Snape indicated Fang with a thrust of his jaw. "Using that beast of yours to track them down." 

Hagrid blinked a couple of times, then firmly grasped Fang's collar. "Was there anything of theirs left at the scene? Makes Fang's job easier." 

"Their broomsticks, with a trace of blood on one of them." Snape crisply informed him. "But there wasn't much else." 

The other nodded. "That may 'elp, but if we can't find 'em today, need to get something else, like their robes." The three of them headed back to the Quidditch pitch, ready to do whatever they had to do. 

Albus sat behind his desk, waiting patiently for his incoming visitors. This promised to be a rather volatile meeting, given who was involved. He looked up as the door opened and smiled politely as the Weasleys entered. "Ah, Arthur, Molly. Please, have a seat." 

Mrs. Weasley looked quite nervous as she sat down. "What has our son done _this_ time?" He couldn't blame her; Ron wasn't quite as much a troublemaker as the twins had been in their day, but of the two Weasleys there, he was the only one who they could probably think of that would require a visitation. 

"Nothing. Ah, Lucius, Narcissa," Dumbledore smiled politely once more as the door opened and the Malfoys entered. Predictably, Arthur shot his old nemesis a very dark and angry look. There had never been any love lost between them, and with Lucius' actions during the war against Voldemort, there probably never would be. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat lightly. "Now is not the time, Arthur. We have two students that have vanished." 

"Ginny?" Molly clutched at her chair, memories of her daughter's first year flickering through her mind visibly. Dumbledore shook his head. 

"No. Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy. They were flying over the Quidditch pitch and their brooms were shot down." 

Lucius looked at him with cold narrowed eyes. "What was that?" 

"I said, that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were flying over the Quidditch pitch and someone Stupefied them, and carried them away. We have a search party out right now, and the Ministry is sending more people to aid us in locating them." 

Arthur's brow furrowed in confusion. "Albus, I am worried about Hermionne, but why did you call _us_?" 

"And what was she doing with _his_ son?" Molly glared over at the Weasleys. It was rather obvious she had never truly forgiven them for some of the things that had been said about her family over the years. 

Albus shook his head slightly. "Unfortunately, Miss Granger's mother is in no condition to travel at this moment, and Minerva and I thought that friends would be able to break it better to her. As for why she is with his son." The Headmaster indicated for Lucius to fill in that little gap. 

The senior Malfoy's grip on his cane was tight as he looked over at the Weasleys. "It appears that Draco has made an ill-advised choice for his romantic life." The disapproval and distaste was thick enough to choke someone. 

"She's dating _your_ son?" Molly looked first at Lucius, then over at her husband. "When did she and Ron break up?" 

"I have no idea." Arthur looked a little put out at not knowing things like this. Narcissa leaned forward slightly, a slightly amused grin on her face as she spoke. 

"From the last letter I received from Draco, your Ron dumped her for another girl just a few weeks ago, before the Christmas holidays." 

Arthur's hands gripped the ends of his chair arms. No one liked to hear such news from a family they considered mortal enemies, and he was no exception. "I'll have to speak with him about that." 

"Perhaps it's for the best, though," Narcissa oozed, not missing one moment of Arthur and Molly's reactions. "They were required to do the Verus Amo potion for their class, and Draco saw Miss Granger in his." She glanced briefly at Lucius, noting the very mild flick of his eyes that indicated his startlement. "Yes, dear. Just as you saw me. He saw-" she pulled a rolled parchment out of her robes and read it over silently. "Ah, yes. Hermione." 

"Fate needs to be taught a few lessons, I believe." Lucius murmured lightly, and Arthur looked as if they had actually found something they could agree on. 

Narcissa interrupted quickly. "Perhaps we should send some of our servants to aid in the search." She caught the Headmaster's gaze. "May I take a look around my son's room? Perhaps I can find something that might give us some aid." 

"Of course." Dumbledore agreed. "Will you all be staying for dinner? I will be informing the students of what has happened then." Receiving affirmatives from all four, he leaned back. "Would anyone care for a lemon drop?" 

Hermione swam back to consciousness, her eyes fluttering open only to see solid blackness. Her arms were pulled over her head, and she did her best to pull them down, only to find that someone had chained her there. She heard a groan from elsewhere in wherever she was, and tried to look around. 

"Draco...?" It had to be him. 

"'mione?" It _was_ him! Hermione tugged harder at her restraints, and bit back a cry of pain as the metal clenched tighter around her wrists, and a sharp stab of pain shot down her right arm. 

"My arm..." Had she broken it when she'd been Stupefied off of her broom? She couldn't be sure, but it definitely _hurt_. 

She could hear Draco fidgeting on something a few feet away. "What happened?" He sounded even more annoyed than she was about the whole thing. 

"Someone hit us with Stupefy while we were flying. I tried to get to you before I got hit myself. Are you hurt?" Not that she could do anything about it if he was. But it would be nice to know. 

"I don't think so. What about you?" 

She struggled again, and winced as the pain increased. "I think I might've broken my arm. And this isn't exactly the most comfortable position, either." 

After a few more tugs, she gave it up. _No wand. No idea where we are or who has us. This is insane._ She stared out into the darkness, hearing Draco's fairly inventive curses continue to spew out. _I wonder how many syllables that one was...and if **that** is even humanly possible **with** magic!_

Hermione had been in quite a few scrapes and odd places over the seven years she'd hung out with Ron and Harry, but this definitely had to take the cake. As far as she could tell, she was on some kind of a cot or bed, with her arms chained above her. When she stretched out her fingers she felt wood, but she couldn't move around enough to be certain if it were a headboard or the wall itself. Either way, she couldn't get away from it. She strained her ears as far as possible, but no sound came from outside wherever they were. 

That changed with a sudden scrape, and a pale globe of light entered the room, a Lumos spell on the end of a wand held by someone. There were two of them, as far as she could tell, and one of them pointed his or her wand in her direction. She blinked at the sudden intrusion, then heard two whispered words: "_Petrificus Totalus!_" Every muscle in her body locked up, and she lay there motionless as the same spell was repeated on Draco. The one who had petrified them came over to her and with a wave of his wand and another spell released her wrists from their bindings. She could hear the other one speaking to Draco as she was picked up. 

"Don't even _try_ to get out, or change shape, because if you do, I'll make sure that your girlfriend dies." The deep voice wasn't one that was familiar to her, but she most certainly recognized the tone of threat. 

Draco didn't really appear to be that scared, or at least he didn't sound that way when he asked, "Who _are_ you?" There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and the man hissed, 

"None of your business." 

The kidnapper holding Hermione pointed his wand back into their holding area and with _Finite Incanteum_ released Draco from the Full Body Bind. The door slammed shut, and this time, sounds could be heard from the other side. 

The sounds of torture. 

Draco had no idea how long the sounds of a whip hitting human flesh ripped through the air, or how many times he heard Hermione scream. All he knew was that it was _too_ long. At last the door was pushed open again, and he caught a glimpse of her being shoved back in, the door slamming behind her. "'mione? What did they do?" 

She moved closer, and with his dark-adjusted eyes he was able to see a little. Her shirt was ripped and bloody, and her jeans were almost...what did the Muggles call them? Well, he wasn't all that certain, but they didn't cover all of her legs anymore. She reached up to start fumbling at his restraints. 

"You have to get out of here." Hermione told him quietly, looking at him the best she could in the shadowy murkiness. 

Draco shook his head. There was no way he was going to leave her there to be tortured to death by these people, whoever they were. _If she can survive Voldemort and everything else, then she's going to survive them._ "So do you." 

"I'd slow you down, and they took our wands," Hermione reminded him. Draco was firm on this, though. He knew his father would kill him for it, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. _I don't even know **why** I'm doing this...it's just what has to be done._

"Then I'm not going." He was unshakeable on this, no matter how much she tried to persuade him. This was something they'd gotten into together. Even so, it had to be because of him they were there, after all. She wasn't from an old, powerful wizarding family like he was; she couldn't have that many wizarding enemies. Not ones who'd also take _him_. 

She touched his hand with one of hers. "He'll kill us both if you don't. You can get help if you leave." 

It was entirely possible that she was right, but he didn't care. "How? I don't even know where we are, and there's no guarantees I'd find a way out in time." He was Slytherin, he used any means necessary to get what he wanted...even if it meant lying. He knew he could get out and get to help; all he would have to do would be to shift to his Animagus form, get out of wherever they were being held, then Apparate as close to Hogwarts as he could. The Ministry of Magic could trace where he'd Apparated from and find Hermione. 

But he wouldn't do it. Even as simple as it was, his escape would take time, time that they could use to kill her, and that wouldn't be tolerated. _I don't want to have to put up with the Weasel and Potty screaming at me for not being a stupid Gryffindor and saving her._

She curled up against him a little, and he carefully pulled his arms down now that they were free, and put one around her. She winced as he did, and he started to pull it away. "Sorry. I forgot you're hurt." He was about to move the arm away when she put up her hand and held it where it was. 

"I almost wish I'd eaten," she murmured as her stomach growled angrily at them both. "How long do you think we've been here?" 

He shrugged. "A few hours, at least. It's hard to say." She nodded as she leaned closer to him, and they stayed just like that. 

**To Be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Dumbledore entered the Great Hall alone. The rest of the teaching staff was still out searching for any more signs, but he doubted they would find anything. Whoever had done this was too good. The students shifted about nervously as they watched him stand before them all. "I have an announcement," he intoned. "Hogwarts will be having a few extra guests. Two of our students have vanished and we will need their help in locating them and those who took them. Until they are found, all extracurricular activities have been cancelled and I request that students please remain within the school." 

He wasn't surprised by the murmurs that spread, and quickly overrode them. "If _anyone_ here knows anything about the disappearance of Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy, I suggest that you see me as soon as you possibly can." He looked at the Gryffindor table, to where the seventh years were staring at him. "Ron Weasley, your parents wish to speak with you. You will find them in Professor McGonnagal's office." 

Ron fidgeted a little as the Headmaster left. He couldn't imagine what his parents were doing here; he hadn't done anything wrong that he could think of. 

"You might want to go now," Harry suggested quietly. Ron looked back at his friend. 

"Did _you_ know? About Hermione and Malfoy?" Harry nodded slightly in agreement. 

"I saw their brooms fall, but McGonnagal told me not to tell." He looked a little disturbed over it. Ron wasn't too surprised; Harry still tended to take responsibility for things that weren't even remotely his fault. 

Ginny poked her head around Harry. "Ron, you'd better go. You don't want to keep them waiting." Her brother nodded quickly and hurried out of the Great Hall. Ginny watched him go. "I wonder what he did this time." 

"Who knows." Harry turned his attention back to his food, and did his best not to worry too much about Hermione and Draco. He knew they'd be found. They _had_ to be. 

* * *

Ron knocked on Professor McGonnagal's office door and waited nervously. He almost came out of his skin when he heard his mother's voice. "Get in here, Ronald!" _Oh, no. She called me **Ronald**. I am so dead._

He opened the door carefully and looked inside. His parents were seated in McGonnagal's guest chairs, and both looked just the way they did when the twins got up to something. He gulped slightly, and was about to say hi when his mother snapped again. "What is this nonsense that you broke up with Hermione and didn't tell us?" 

Was _that_ was they were upset about? "Oh, hi, mom." He could handle this. 

"Answer the question!" You know, it really was amazing just how much like a man-eating tiger she looked just then... 

"Yeah, I broke up with her." Granted it probably wasn't one of the smartest decisions he'd ever made, but what was done was done. 

His mother stared down at him, and for a heartbeat he felt as if he were five again. "Why didn't you tell us?" He hesitated for a moment, and her brow furrowed in anger. "_Yes??_" 

"Honestly, mom, it's not your business." Ron told her, bracing himself for the storm. _I love you, mom, but I'm a big boy now. I can't just keep wetting myself every time you frown at me._

Molly eyed him angrily. "Well, I guess inviting her over for the summer is out of the question now." He couldn't be sure if she were more upset over the breakup or the disturbance of her plans, and he didn't think it would be such a good idea to ask. 

"I didn't know you were thinking about doing that." He murmured quietly, more than a little shocked himself. His mother glowered at him angrily, and he was almost certain he'd be getting a Howler or two out of this. 

"If you had told us, we wouldn't have started to plan it!" The woman who had given birth to him practically shouted. His father leaned over, stepping into the silence that fell afterwards. 

"We were so happy when you and Hermione started dating. She's always been like a daughter to us, and now we have to explain to her parents about her being kidnapped." Arthur had always liked talking to the Grangers, but having to deliver a message like this was not something he was looking forward to. 

Ron's fists clenched just at the thought of her in danger. _She can take care of herself. She's probably wiping the floor with them right now! Whoever they are. It's his fault, though. It's all because of **him**!_ "She wouldn't have been kidnapped if she hadn't started dating Malfoy!" 

"Which is the real reason we're not too happy with you. We did _not_ enjoy having to find out from _Lucius_ that they were dating, and _you_ had broken up!" Arthur was _definitely_ more annoyed over who he had discovered the news from than the news itself! 

His mother gave him another sharp look. "Just _why_ did you break up with her?" 

"I liked someone else." Ron thrust his jaw out stubbornly. He hoped his parents would get the idea that he didn't really want to say anything else on the matter, but either his body language went over their heads or they just didn't care. Knowing his luck, he was ready to believe the latter. 

"Are you still with this girl?" Molly wanted to know. Ron shook his head, but kept all other details to himself. This was some part of his private life they _really_ didn't need to know. "Was it worth it?" 

He thought about that a moment before answering. "I wish I hadn't done it like that, but it wouldn't have lasted with Hermione anyway." 

"Who did you see in your potion?" His mother looked slightly curious and he fidgeted slightly. This was going to sound silly. 

"Hermione. She doesn't think that's who I saw, though." He thought back to the picture that she'd shown him. _She doesn't have a sister, she told us that already. But who is that?_

His mother nodded slightly. "I see. Once we get her back, things can finally be settled." She pointed him back towards the door. "Head back to whatever you were doing. We need to talk to her parents." 

Ron wasted no time getting out of there, taking deep breaths as he did. _Well, it could be worse. At least I wasn't grounded._

"Oh, and Ronald." 

He turned to see his parents in the doorway. His mother spoke again. "When you get home after school this year...you're grounded for a month." 

* * *

Narcissa shook her head lightly over the state of Draco's room. His robes lay spread over the chairs, beds, and desk; his books were piled in stacks everywhere, along with various potion ingredients and rolls of parchment. It was a typical seventeen-year-old boy's room. 

She could see the disapproving look in Lucius' eyes as he checked out his son's quarters as well. Without a word, she started to pick things up, putting them away neatly. She noticed her husband picking up the journal that he had given Draco for his fourteenth birthday and looked into it. "Something there?" 

Lucius handed it over to her, and she took a look. Emblazoned on the pages were some pictures of a slightly familiar person. "This must be Hermione. She's blossomed some since we last saw her in Diagon Alley." 

"I believe it is her." His distaste was quite evident in his voice. She shook her head; he was as stubborn as the hills sometimes. Not that she really minded. It had its moments. 

She glanced at the pictures again and smiled. "Our son has improved on his artistic skills." He got that from her. Draco probably wasn't aware of it, but she had done several of the paintings in Hogwarts during her own student days. _I wonder if he ever took Magical Paintwork...I don't think so...Lucius wouldn't let him even if he'd asked._

Narcissa looked around the room again, then saw a picture on his desk. She glanced from it to the journal in her hands, and nodded. "Yes, this is her." The picture had Hermione on a broomstick, waving at someone out of the camera range. Her image flew in and out quite gracefully, with a look of amazing happiness shining across her face. 

"Unfortunately." Lucius murmured. Narcissa shook her head. 

"You aren't going to change his mind on her, if she _is_ the one that he truly saw in his potion." 

Lucius snorted. "I don't recall that meaning I have to _like_ it." 

"Your parents grew to like me." Narcissa reminded him. "Perhaps you'll do the same for her?" The look he directed at her clearly said he considered _that_ as likely as Voldemort arising from the dead once more and declaring he was going to marry a Muggle and take up raising daisies. "Lucius, you've kept this shell around your heart for far too long. If you don't do something, you just might lose our son. He's outlived any of the other children we've tried to have. He's a fighter, and he _will_ return to us alive." 

"We'll see." Lucius didn't sound quite hopeful, but she ignored that. She was not going to let doubt creep into her heart at all concerning Draco's safe return. 

"Excuse me." They both turned towards the door to see Professor Snape standing there. "Professor Dumbledore requests one of Draco's spare robes, so that Hagrid's beast has a better chance to track him down." 

Narissa picked up one of the robes and handed it over quickly. Snape nodded slightly, then swept away, his cloak billowing around him in its usual fashion. The slender witch looked at her husband. "We'll get a room in Hogsmeade, so we can be closer to Hogwarts when Draco is found." She'd learned long ago the best way to deal with Lucius was not to ask him questions but to tell him what they were going to do. It hadn't kept him away from the Death Eaters or some of the things he insisted on Draco learning, but at least it was working now. With Draco's journal in hand, she swept out the door. 

* * *

Molly Weasley had never had the interest in Muggle things that her husband had, so she wasn't entirely certain what all of these things that she was seeing as she hurried through the hospital corridors _did_. All she knew was they were how Muggles dealt with sickness and injury. _It smells so strange here. I wish Arthur hadn't gotten distracted by those thermo-whatevers..._

She found the door she was looking for and looked inside. Emma Granger lay on the bed, her eyes half-closed at first, but as Molly tapped lightly, she looked up with a brighter smile. "Molly! Hello!" 

"Hello, Emma. How are you feeling?" The witch came closer, feeling a bit odd in her Muggle clothes, but that really didn't matter. The person laying here was what mattered. 

"A lot better. Where's your husband?" Emma glanced around for Arthur carefully. The Weasleys and the Grangers had gotten to know each other a little better over the years, and Mr. Granger was no longer as shocked by Arthur's constant question asking about the fascinating things of the Muggle world. 

Molly rolled her eyes slightly. "Shiny things caught his attention. I think they were called ther-mom-...something. I don't really understand what they're supposed to do, but he was just fascinated." 

"I'm not surprised." Mr. Granger stepped from behind her. "He'd stopped asking me about the tools I use so he must have gotten involved with something else." 

The witch nodded, then took a quick look around to make certain that no one was able to hear them. "I didn't just come for a visit." They both looked at her with concern in their eyes, so much like Hermione's. "Did you know that Hermione has been seeing Draco Malfoy?" 

Emma frowned as she thought. "She mentioned something about seeing someone other than Ron, which was a little surprising. But she never mentioned his name." _Malfoy. Why does that name sound familiar? I know I've seen it somewhere or heard it. Maybe she mentioned it some other time._

"I know how you feel." Molly would never forget hearing it from Lucius Malfoy. Arthur was still getting over that. Her friends were still waiting to find out what was going on, though. "Hermione and Draco have been kidnapped. The entire staff of Hogwarts is searching for them, but the Headmaster wanted you to be told." 

Emma Granger looked at her, then quickly started attempting to get out of bed. Her husband hurried over to stop her, with Molly helping him. "You need to stay here!" The witch told her firmly. Emma shook her head. 

"My daughter needs me!" 

Molly knew exactly how she felt. "I know, Emma. I'd be feeling the same way if it were one of _my_ children. But there's nothing you can do right now. She _doesn't_ need you to get hurt by rushing off like this." 

"Will you let me know when they're found?" Emma asked with a sigh, leaning her head back on the pillows. Molly nodded at once, and Emma looked towards her husband. "Why is this happening?" 

"I don't know." Mr. Granger patted her hand gently, doing his best to keep her comforted. Everyone looked up as the door swung open, and Arthur Weasley came in. Molly tilted her head slightly at him. 

"Had enough fun?" She wanted to know. He nodded quickly as he looked at Mrs. Granger. 

"How are you holding up?" 

She looked at him with a nearly amused gleam to her eyes. "I want to help Hermione! My daughter's in trouble and I can't do anything about it!" 

"You can." Arthur reminded her. "By getting stronger. She's going to need you when we get her back." Emma looked as if she might pout if she were thirty years younger, but that was well. He looked at his own wife. "I'm going to go back and help in the search. I don't like the Malfoys, but Hermione is family. I'll owl when we find her." His eyes flicked from her to the Granger, and she picked up on what he wanted at once. 

"I'll be here." Maybe she could finally figure out just what the Muggles used all these weird things for. _Maybe it'll help me understand Arthur. I love him, but he can be so strange...and so strong when he has to be._ She had never been prouder of him than she was right now. 

Once Arthur was gone, the three of them who were left behind fell into their own quiet thoughts. Emma thought of all the strange and wonderful things her daughter had told her about the world of wizarding. Surely they'd be able to find her and this Draco. "Please...let my little girl be all right..." That was the only wish in her heart. 

* * *

Hermione collapsed onto the floor, wearing something that had been a semi-decent outfit an unknown amount of time earlier. She shivered, more from the whip wounds and worse that were all over her than from the temperature. Tears squeezed out of her eyes as she tried to get up, then slid back down to the stone floor. It took her a few moments to realize the pained and muffled squall she heard came from her own throat. 

Arms came around her, and she leaned a little more into the body behind them. Draco did what he could to soothe her until the pain eased and her muscles stopped shaking. "I...heard something..." she whispered softly. "They thought I was unconscious...whoever is in charge...he used to work for your father...they're doing this to get back at your family...they said...that you were next...you've got to get out of here!" 

He shook his head firmly. "Not without you." Nothing had changed his mind from before. He was not leaving without her. 

"It's your only chance!" Hermione tried to get it through to him, but he wasn't going to listen to her this time. She took several deep breaths and closed her eyes. "I noticed something...the wands...our wands....are on a shelf outside the door..." Her eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she slipped down into unconsciousness. 

Draco carefully eased her onto the floor and turned to the door. _This is going to have to be quick. Good thing I am._ He walked over carefully, noticing that there was no lock there. _No spell, either. Idiots. They're going to deserve anything they get._ He could see the shelf across the corridor, with several convenient gaps in the wall he could use for grips, and he was also almost certain he could see his own wand there. _Ebony, dragon heartstring, seven and a half inches._ It had been part of him since he had bought it from Ollivander and he wasn't going to let these idiots keep it from him. 

He closed his eyes for a moment, calling on something inside, and where he had stood, there was suddenly a white ferret. He scuttled out of the room and up the wall, his toes gripping into the gaps quickly and easily. He considered what to do as he stared at the shelf. _I can't pick them up like this, I'm too small...but..._ He carefully knocked them both to the floor, then ran back down and nudged the wands into the cell. 

Hermione's eyes fluttered just as he rolled them in there, getting hers in front of her, then shifted back to his human form. "D...Draco?" 

_I wonder if I should have told her I'm an Animagus?_ He pushed the thought out of his mind and tried to help her up. "Ready to get out of here? We have our wands now. Nothing can stop us." She nodded slightly and did her best to lever herself up for a moment before sliding back down. 

"I'm going to slow you down..." He tried not to notice the blood smell growing stronger as he held onto her. He'd been too busy in his ferret form to really think about it, and now he still had too much to do. _Only one thing I can do._

He picked up his wand and thought for a moment. Yes, that was the right spell. He murmured the word carefully. "_Dormio!!_" Draco grinned in pride as Hermione slumped into a deep sleep in his arms. _And Flitwick said I still needed to work on the Sleeping Charm._

The young Malfoy considered just what to do next. He didn't have a lot of time; their 'hosts' would be back any time now. _I think I'm going to have to transfigure her into something and carry her out like that. I hope that's not going to hurt her too much._

He raised his wand once more, trying to make up his mind. Then, all thoughts of what to make her into vanished as agony ripped through his mind and body. It took him a few heartbeats to be coherent enough to recognize it: the Cruciatus Curse. As he flailed and screamed, he managed to catch sight of one of their captors, standing in the door and pointing a wand at him. 

As the spell was cut off, Draco collapsed into a heap, sweat-streaked and exhausted. The other wizard snorted with disgust, then grabbed the younger man by one arm and threw him back on the bed. Another wave of his wand sealed Draco's wrists to the headboard, pinning him there easily. Draco saw the same thing being done to Hermione, a soft whimper sliding from between her lips as her injuries were stressed even more. 

"What a stupid little _boy_. Tomorrow," their captor sneered at them. "Tomorrow, you can kiss your girlfriend good-bye...forever! _Crucio!_" 

An agonizing scream ripped out of Draco, his muscles tightening as the spell shattered into him. All thoughts of dignity and not showing weakness in front of his captors vanished in the everlasting avalanche of pain. Somewhere from the other side of the torment, he thought he heard a familiar voice, then suddenly... 

Silence. 

He'd stopped screaming. Blessed, unbelievable silence...and an end to the pain. 

Draco slowly opened his eyes to see two figures he'd never thought he would see together: or be so glad _to_ see at all. Hagrid glowered at the one who had been his captor and was now leaning against the far wall, half-dazed and with a broken wand beside him. Professor Snape gave a quick sharp jerk to his own wand, and the restraints on Draco faded away. 

_They found us..._ Draco had never truly been grateful to anyone in his life that he could remember, except for a fleeting heartbeat towards McGonnagal when she'd interrupted the false Mad Eye Moody as he'd been banging Draco against the walls and floor. At least not until now. He quickly tucked the gratitude where he wouldn't have to look at it anymore and tried to figure out what to do next. 

Snape obviously already knew as he freed Hermione, then removed his cape and wrapped it around her carefully. "Grab those two, Hagrid, and put them on the beds. Mr. Malfoy, can you stand?" 

"I think so," Draco carefully got to his feet, doing his best not to fall. "How is Hermione?" 

Hagrid glanced from her to him, confusion in his beetle-black eyes. "She looks all right." Draco was fairly certain Hagrid hadn't been caught up on what was going on with the two of them, and at that moment, he couldn't be bothered to clarify things. 

"I cast the Sleeping Charm on her," Draco informed the two elder wizards. "She's in a lot of pain." 

"Well, Professor Snape'll fix 'er up!" Hagrid told him cheerily as the younger man picked up their two wands. Snape glanced at the injured witch, his shoulders moving slightly in what might've been a shrug. 

"After we get back to Hogwarts. For now, it will be best if she remains that way...and quieter for us all." A flick of his wand and a couple of muttered charms later, and the two men who had been the cause of all their trouble were tied to the beds Draco and Hermione had been on. "We aren't that far from Hogwarts grounds. The Headmaster and the Ministry of Magic will be informed as to where they are, and I sincerely doubt they'll be able to get past the wards I'm going to set up, even if they were able to get out of this room." 

Draco glared at them for a moment, then nodded. "Let's get out of here." He heard a faint mumble coming from Hermione's direction and frowned. "What's she saying?" 

"She said that she loves ya...can't ya hear?" Hagrid asked, picking the sleeping woman up carefully. Draco refused to react in any way; letting her see the slightly softer side of him was one thing. But this was his Head of House, and a _half-giant_. That was something else entirely. 

He quickly hurried out of the room, finding his way outside as swiftly as he could. Fang was waiting outside, a bag around his neck that had what looked to be one of his robes peeking out of it, shrunken somewhat. _That must be how they found us._ He glanced back at the other two briefly. There _were_ certain courtesies that had to be observed. "I'm glad that you found us." 

Snape nodded briefly. "It appears as if we were just in time. The quickest way back to Hogwarts is through the Forbidden Forest." He indicated the spreading greenery in front of them with a slight jerk of his head. "Let's go." 

"Fang!" Hagrid called to his creature. "You go on ahead and let Dumbledore know that we're on our way back with them." The boarhound barked, then raced off on the trail ahead of them. Draco watched him go with something almost like relief. 

_He might be a coward, but he still found us. Maybe I **won't** turn him into a slug this year._

He kept quiet as they hurried along the pathway, shooting occasional looks at Hermione as she slept in Hagrid's arms. _She was going to sacrifice her own life so I would get out. Why? That doesn't make any sense._ If that was what it was to be a Gryffindor, he was ten times as glad he was a Slytherin. 

Those thoughts, and more like them, kept him occupied until they'd left the Forest behind, and rising above them was the impressive expanse of Hogwarts. They were home. 

**To Be Continued**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Halfway up to the castle, Dumbledore, McGonnagal, and Madame Pomfrey came running towards them. It was a little odd to see them all moving so fast, but Draco wasn't really in any condition to argue about it right now. He was knocked a little off guard when his mother swept past them and wrapped him in her arms, kissing him rapidly. "Draco!" 

"Mother, please..." Draco tried not to look at any of the others, knowing he wouldn't be able to live this down if the very Head of Gryffindor House saw this happening. He was slightly more grateful to his father, who acknowledged him with a light nod and an injunction to get them all inside. 

Lucius took one arm and Snape the other as they helped Draco into the castle and towards the hospital wing. Since Hagrid had went on ahead with Hermione and Pomfrey, Draco saw a few of her injuries being exposed as the mediwitch started work on her. He barely had time to gasp in raw anger before he was settled onto a bed and swept down into deep bowels of sleep. 

A few short feet away, Minerva stared in shock at the battered body of Hermione Granger. "What have they _done_ to her?" 

"This is going to take a while." Pomfrey murmured, looking over her assortment of potions and unguents. She nodded slightly at the Headmaster as he agreed to leave her to her work and headed out, Snape and McGonnagal in his wake. 

"Gather the students in the Great Hall." Dumbledore ordered a small house-elf that peeked out of a corner. "As well as the teachers and anyone else here to help. Severus, you and Hagrid did very well in finding them. May I ask who put the Sleeping Charm on Miss Granger?" 

Snape almost seemed approving with his reply. "Mr. Malfoy had that taken care of when we arrived." 

"Smart young man. Much like his father, in some respects." The three of them hurried along the corridor leading to the Great Hall. "Your cloak, of course, will be returned after it has been cleaned." 

The doors to the Hall swung open, and the three teachers swept in to see the school already assembled. House-elves did very good work in a very short amount of time, obviously. Dumbledore hurried up to the Head Table and looked out over the gathering. "I have good news. Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy have been found, and are currently in the hospital wing. However, I am afraid that I must _insist_ that they be allowed to rest undisturbed. When Madam Pomfrey states that they are well enough for visitors, you shall be informed. Please return to your classes." 

As the students scattered, Dumbledore could see Harry, Ron, and Ginny looking at each other, all three quite reluctant to leave. He wasn't surprised; they had to be in quite a froth over Hermione's condition. _Perhaps I should tell them a little more._ He knew they'd be asking him anyway, or sneaking into the hospital wing on their own to check on things. He started towards them, and was not at all surprised to hear Mr. Weasley murmuring a request for Harry's invisibility cloak as he strode up. 

The young Potter didn't bother to answer, just looked at his Headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore, how is Hermione?" 

_Just like his father. Direct and to the point._ "It wasn't good for a while. She had been beaten quite badly," the Headmaster told him. "However, thanks to Madame Pomfrey's care and Mr. Malfoy's quick thinking, she will recover." Ron made a small noise of confusion, and the elder wizard continued, "Mr. Malfoy cast the Sleeping Charm on her just prior to her rescue. That saved her life." 

Ron blinked twice, confusion in every part of him. "_Malfoy_ saved Hermione??" 

"Indeed." 

Ron fidgeted nervously for a few moments, then blurted out, "Can't we see her anyway? Please?" 

Dumbledore considered for a few moments. "She won't be awake yet, but for five minutes." He'd barely finished speaking when all three of them ran by him as if a herd of hippogryphs were on their tails. He shook his head and chuckled. The wonders of youth. 

* * *

The first thing that Harry noticed as they entered the Hospital Wing was Lucius Malfoy seated by his son's side. The second thing was that Lucius Malfoy looked just ever so slightly green, as if he was on the verge of throwing up. Harry had no idea what could make _him_ look like that, until he followed Ron and Ginny a few more steps, and saw Hermione. 

"What did they _do_ to her?" Ginny gasped as she got a very good look at the figure of their friend. Most of it was hidden under bandages or her hospital gown, but the very existence of those things, and that Madame Pomfrey hadn't been able to heal them, showed just how deep they really were. Ginny turned to Harry, burying her face in his robe and crying softly. 

"Was it wise to let them see that?" Lucius murmured quietly to Dumbledore as the older wizard entered the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore raised one eyebrow slightly at the question. He had never thought Lucius Malfoy would care that much for the sensibilities of these children in particular. Perhaps age was mellowing him.. 

"What would it have benefited to keep it from them?" The Headmaster reminded him. "It is something that happened. Hiding it won't change that." 

"'mione!" Dumbledore and Lucius looked down to see Draco sitting up in bed, his widely opened eyes filled with terror and fear-sweat sparkling all over him. 

"She's over here." Ron's voice was gruff and reserved, but Dumbledore was quite glad just to see that he tried to reassure the white-haired wizard. 

Draco tried to get out of his bed, obviously aiming for Hermione, but his father pushed him back down, a firm look in his pale eyes. "Stay where you are." 

"Why?" Draco sounded slightly petulant. "I want to see her!" 

Lucius shook his head. "You don't need to be moving around just yet." 

"I agree with your father," Madame Pomfrey hustled over to check his temperature with the flat of her hand. "You are too weak to move right now. Rest, or you won't get a chance to see her at _all_!" 

The younger Malfoy at once lay back down, obedient to the mediwitch. Dumbledore chuckled softly; he'd felt the same way in his own student days. Draco might be afraid of his father, but _this_ was the school nurse! 

Ron glanced back over slightly. "She's still asleep, anyway." There was a faint tone of reassurance in his voice. Dumbledore approved even more; if these two could move past their antagonism it could mean quite a bit for the future of wizardry. 

"What did they do to her?" Harry wondered, his voice catching slightly as he kept on staring at Hermione. 

Draco shook his head a little. "I only know what she told me. I don't think she told me everything, either." 

"What did she say?" Pomfrey wondered, her quill hovering over a parchment in preparation to take it all down. 

The Slytherin thought briefly. "They beat her. I know that for sure. There were also some spells. I'm not sure just which ones, I couldn't hear them, and she didn't tell me. She wouldn't tell me most of what they did, or said. She just kept trying to get me out of there and leave her behind." The next sentence fragment almost seemed to fight its way out of his mouth. "But I just couldn't do it." 

"Why not?" Harry wondered, glancing over at his school nemesis. Draco didn't say anything at first, then finally murmured something quite softly. 

"They told me that they'd kill her if I tried." 

Ron looked at the other wizard, then looked away again. Dumbledore was almost certain he knew what the youngest Weasley male was thinking. _Draco's care for her is quite plain. Young Ron may not **like** this, but he will accept it. I do not believe he has a choice._

Draco glanced over at his father for a moment, and was almost certain he saw a glint of approval in those pale eyes. _He would have done the same for Mother, I know it. He might not know it, but I do._

Dumbledore cleared his throat lightly. "I believe it is time for class now? Herbology, I believe? and Care of Magical Creatures?" He looked at Ron and Harry, then Ginny, all three of whom nodded, then slipped out, talking quietly with each other. 

"Albus?" Just as the three of them had left, someone else arrived: the Minister of Magic himself. Lucius refrained from rolling his eyes; Fudge was incompetent enough to be useful, but he was still a complete idiot to have to associate with. 

"Ah, Cornelious." Dumbledore smiled brightly at him. "I've been expecting you." 

The Minister hurried up to the Headmaster, nodding his head slightly at Lucius as he passed. "What's going on here? Is it true? They were found?" The elder Malfoy cudgelled his brain, but he couldn't really think of any logical reason not to hex Fudge into the next eon, except for the fact this was the Hospital Wing, and one didn't do that sort of thing here. The memories of the times he had spent here, and the mediwitch of his era, were still quite strong. 

Dumbledore motioned briefly to the two students, and Lucius felt a smidgen of satisfaction at seeing Fudge turn a very bilious shade of green at the sight of Hermione Granger. 

"Madame Pomfrey." Everyone looked to see Snape entering with three bottles in his hand. He ignored everyone else as he came over to the mediwitch. "The potions you requested for Miss Granger." He glanced to Dumbledore as he handed them over to her. "The Weasleys and the Grangers have been owled as well, Headmaster." 

"Thank you, Severus." Albus nodded slightly, and the Potions Master swept out, barely giving a look to either Fudge or Lucius. Fudge looked as if he were considering taking offence, but Lucius knew perfectly well even if he did, Dumbledore wouldn't care. When it came down to it, Hogwarts took care of its own, and Snape was most definitely one of Hogwarts' own. 

As Pomfrey started to administer the potions, carefully pouring them down Hermione's throat and making certain she didn't choke on the, the cuts and injuries began to heal virtually before the eyes of the watchers. Lucius could see Draco staring over there with a craned neck, not letting a single moment pass without his attention on the Muggleborn witch. He made a note to talk to his son as soon as possible about this. 

"She should be able to answer any questions you have tomorrow." Dumbledore decided. Pomfrey nodded slightly, then looked at the Minister with determined eyes. 

"But _only_ a few at a time!" The mediwitch declared. "She'll still need a lot of rest, as will young Mr. Malfoy!" 

Both the Headmaster and the Minister looked to where Draco was trying to catch a better view of Hermione, and he glanced quickly back at them, a faint hint of reluctance in his eyes. Fudge must have noticed it, though. 

"I'll return tomorrow to talk to them both, then." He hurried out of the room, muttering to himself about how many Aurors would be needed for this and a few other things no one else could hear. 

Lucius looked back at Draco, then stood up. "Rest, Draco. I'll return later." His son nodded and watched first him, then Dumbledore and Pomfrey leave. He and Hermione were the only ones there now, and a deep silence settled on the Hospital Wing. Draco closed his eyes, keeping himself turned towards Hermione, and soon he too was lost in the depths of healing sleep. 

* * *

Draco's eyes flew open suddenly, then slammed shut almost at once. Something had disturbed his sleep. _What was it? Did someone come in?_ He listened intently for a few heartbeats, trying to hear anyone. If someone was there, he didn't want to open his eyes and let them know he was there? Where was his wand? He couldn't remember. He was defenceless without it...no, he could change if he had to. But would they know that? Would they be expecting it? No way to know for sure. 

"N..no...d..don't..." That was what he'd heard. He opened his eyes again, this time knowing what it was. He carefully sat up and looked towards Hermione, seeing her toss and turn rapidly, struggling against bonds seen only in her dreaming mind. "No...don't...please stop..." 

"Hermione." She had to wake up, the healing potions wouldn't work quite as well if she didn't rest her mind and body. He remembered what Snape had pounded into their heads repeatedly class after class. 

_Healing potions have to be more than just perfectly made to work. Though they will close wounds easily enough, if the patient does not want to be healed, or resists getting proper sleep, then the potions cannot fully integrate themselves with the wizard or witch's magic, and repair all of the damage._ Then he had fixed them all with that steely glare. _If any of you fail to properly rest or want to remain injured while you are in this school, you may be assured that you will regret it for the rest of your very **long** lives._

Draco slowly worked his way out of bed and stumbled to where she was laying. At the last second his knees gave out from under him and he collapsed in a small heap by her bed. Glad that no one else had been there to see that, he levered himself into the nearby chair and slowly took Hermione's hand in his. The second he did so; she began to relax. _It's like she knows I'm here._ He'd never been interested enough in medicine, wizarding or otherwise, to study on this sort of thing, but now he was almost beginning to regret it. 

He tried not to look too much at her. The potions had healed a great deal of her injuries, but there were still so much more left to do. "'mione..." 

"D..raco..." 

Draco's eyes flicked up to her face, where she was looking back at him with a faint smile. "'mione. You're awake." 

"That...was obvious." She snorted faintly, tears of pain wanting to choke their way out. "I must...look a sight." 

He shrugged, honesty compelling him to say, "You've looked better." 

"I bet." She closed her eyes and seemed to drift off again for a few minutes. He felt like doing the same when, "Did...I talk in my sleep?" 

What did that matter? She was alive, he was alive, they were both free, and their captors had been taken into custody. _That_ was what mattered. "'mione, I don't think you should really talk right now. You have to get better. Remember what Professor Snape said." 

Her eyes levered open again, with a hint of the spirit he remembered flaring in them. "Answer me, Draco. Did I talk in my sleep after you used the Sleeping Charm on me?" 

The wispy tone to her voice did more to hurt him than anything else. If it was all that important to her. "Just a little. I wasn't close enough to hear you, though." 

"Oh." Hermione tried to sit up a little, only to find her arms weren't strong enough yet to help her do so. "I thought I heard Ginny and Harry here...and Ron." 

He nodded slightly. "They had to go to class." He wasn't surprised that none of his fellow Slytherins had shown up to talk to _him_. Crabbe and Goyle were probably still trying to remember what the password was to the dungeons, or at best trying to figure out how one got _out_ of them in the first place. 

"Do my parents know?" was the next question. Draco thought for a moment, trying to remember what he could of the conversation between the adults earlier. 

"I think they were told." It sounded like something Dumbledore would do anyway. _His_ parents had been obviously so it made sense hers had been as well. 

She looked at him again, that fire still in her eyes. He refused to admit to himself just how nice he found it. _Glad they didn't ruin her like that._ He also refused to acknowledge he had just thought that. "Why did you use the charm on me?" 

"So you wouldn't be in as much pain when we were getting out of there." Draco told her. _I don't think she needs to know I was going to transfigure her into something. I know I wouldn't want to be anything but me, no matter what._ He adjusted her pillow a little and pressed her gently back onto the bed when she tried to move off it again. "Stay there." He knew the next question he was going to ask without even having to think about it. "What did they do to you, 'mione?" 

Utter silence reigned briefly, then she began to speak. "They...said if I didn't do what they wanted...they'd kill you. I was whipped so many times..." She shuddered briefly, her hands clenching in their bandages. "Kicked like I was some kind of animal. I don't even remember all the curses they used. The Cruciatus was one of them, I know." 

She glanced beyond him for a moment as she paused her recitation. "We have company." Draco looked over to see his father standing in the doorway, with Minister Fudge there, holding a parchment and quill. Lucius bent a stern gaze upon his son. 

"Why are you out of your bed, Draco?" The tone was one Draco had heard quite often before, and usually prefaced punishments of some kind, usually quite harsh ones. 

Draco did what he could to defend himself. "'mione woke up." His father didn't seem to care if Merlin himself had appeared in the Hospital Wing; he simply pointed to the bed. 

"You could've called Madame Pomfrey," he reminded his son, pointing once more when Draco refused to move. The younger Malfoy finally inched his way back over and curled up under the covers, watching Hermione like a hawk. 

"Miss Granger, is that all that happened?" Minister Fudge asked, coming a little closer to her. Hermione nodded slightly. 

"That's all I can remember. Did you really hear all of that?" Her cheeks flushed a little red at being so helpless. She was practically a heroine of the war, having helped Harry not only research how to defeat Voldemort once and for all, but she had taken out quite a few Death Eaters of her own. But this... 

Fudge nodded as he put away the quill and parchment. "They will be properly charged and prosecuted. They'll most likely be stuck in Azkaban for the rest of their natural lives, or longer." He marched out briskly, as Hermione curled up a little, tears falling softly. 

Madame Pomfrey hustled over and forced healing potions and a few other odds and ends the likes of which Draco had never seen or heard of down her throat. "I'm going to put the Sleeping Charm on you again, my dear," the mediwitch told her. "You need to rest a great deal to build up your strength." 

Draco winced as he saw another tear slip down her cheek and started wriggling out of his bed again. His father's cane came down in front of him, with a cold look from Lucius' gray eyes to back it up. "You heard the mediwitch, Draco. You both require rest, and getting out of that bed is not allowed." 

"Fine." Draco squirmed so his back was to his father and closed his eyes. _He doesn't like her. I don't like her either, but it's different with him. I don't like her because she's a know-it-all pest who should never have come to Hogwarts...and made most of Slytherin House look bad by being smarter than all of us. He just hates her because she's her._

Something about that didn't quite feel right, but Draco wasn't in the mood to dice it up any farther. He closed his eyes and let sleep steal over him once more. 

**To Be Continued**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione selected a few samples of breakfast and nibbled them lightly. On either side of her, Harry and Ron were wolfing down food as if there were no tomorrow, or no lunch. She glanced at them curiously. "What is it? Quidditch game today?" She'd lost track of time since her captivity and rescue. 

"Against Ravenclaw." Ron reported, swallowing several more bites. "It's going to be an easy win. Lisa Turpin's no match for Harry, and their Chasers...well, they need work." He didn't even bother mentioning the Ravenclaw Keeper. He knew his opposite number had nothing on him. 

Hermione nodded slightly. "Good luck." 

"Bet you're glad about not having to choose which side to cheer on today," Ron shoved more food down his throat, almost not bothering to chew. Hermione shot a dark look at him. 

"Well, if you're going to take that attitude, I hope _Ravenclaw_ wins!" She snapped, grabbing her bag of books and storming out of the Great Hall. 

"Good going, Ron!" Ginny snapped at her brother. "You did it again!" 

Ron shook his head. "What?? I was _serious_!" How could she have gotten mad about what he'd said? _What_ had he said that was so wrong? 

"That could be the point," Harry told him. Ron shook his head again. Was this a girl thing? No, Harry understood it. Why didn't they teach girls at Hogwarts? 

He shook his head furiously. "Yeah, I guess I can't even _try_ to be nice to her anymore, because I'm _obviously_ just trying to cover up for being a jerk!" 

"Not that," Ginny tried to correct him. "Hermione's not used to you being serious." 

"Whatever." Ron grabbed his bag of books and headed out the Great Hall swiftly. He spied Hermione not that far away and stalked over there, wanting to say something, _needing_ to say something to vent. "If falling in love means you stop thinking altogether, I'm glad I'm _not_ in love with you!" 

He stalked on towards the Quidditch pitch, wanting to get a few quick rounds of flight in before the game. There was an interruption waiting, however: one by the name of Draco Malfoy. 

"What the _hell_ did you say to Hermione?" The Slytherin asked harshly, his gray eyes alive with a terrible kind of anger. 

Ron tried to push the other boy away, but to no avail. "That I was glad she didn't have to pick who to cheer on in the game today, because I know _I_ wouldn't know who to be happy for if I were dating someone in a different House!" 

Draco stepped back slightly. "And she got upset because of that?" He seemed as confused about it as Ron himself was. 

"Apparently falling in love means all your brains dribble out of your head!" The redhead snapped. This idiot was the cause of everything! If he hadn't been _born_, Hermione wouldn't be acting like a simple wish of good luck was the kiss of death! 

"Not really," Draco shook his head thoughtfully. "It could be what happened to her while we were being held captive." 

Ron snorted. That had to rank in the top ten stupidest things he'd ever heard. "I'm not exactly a mediwizard but I'm pretty sure that whatever happened out there didn't have a damned thing to do with who you cheer on at Quidditch." 

"No," Draco agreed. "But you don't know the damage that Pomfrey is still trying to heal on her." 

He started away, only to stop as Ron put a hand on his shoulder and yanked him back around. "Right. And apparently I don't _deserve_ to find out because I'm just a jerk who has no feelings, right? I'm not a superrich secretly nice guy who is her _destined soulmate_!" 

"Have you tried asking her what happened?" 

Oh, this was _rich_. Look at Malfoy trying to be the 'better person'. "Why should I? She'd just claim I don't understand and you do." Ron glared into those pale disgusting eyes. "But if you ever hurt her, you die." 

He yanked his hand off of the paler boy and stalked back to Gryffindor Tower; no longer feeling the slightest need or desire to be in the air. _What the devil am I doing wrong here?_ He wasn't able to read minds, and Hermione had been draped over Malfoy like she was his own robes ever since Christmas. How was he _supposed_ to know what they'd went through when she hadn't been bothered to _tell_ anyone? 

The fire in the common room flickered and snapped, a perfect match for his feelings. He was the only one there at the moment; everyone else was either still in the Great Hall or the library or wherever they went between classes and Quidditch. It felt a little nice to imagine both Hermione and Malfoy writhing in the depths of the flames as well. Just a little nice. 

He heard the Fat Lady's portrait slide back, and someone clambered in. He didn't bother to look up and see whom it was; he had other things on his mind. "I'm sorry." It was Hermione. 

"Sorry," Ron continued to stare into the fire. _How could I have seen her in the potion if she's this much of a jerk? I know I don't have the best taste in the world but I think I could do better._ "You're in the wrong common room. This is Gryffindor." 

"I wanted to explain," Her voice shook slightly, the way it always did when she was upset. "But I guess you don't want it _or_ the apology." She started by him to the steps that led to her own room, stumbling a little and catching herself on one of the chairs. 

"No, I don't, because you don't mean either one of them." Ron snapped, a sort of dank chill rising inside of him as he twisted to look her in the face. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to talk to me anymore, _Granger._" The look that spasmed across her face tore into his heart, but he didn't care. She'd brought it on herself. 

"If that's what you want." She made her way haltingly up to her room, shutting the door behind her firmly. Ron turned back to stare into the fire, a small smile of triumph evident. It wasn't every day he won an argument with Hermione. 

_She still looks kind of bad. I wonder what they did do to her._ He wasn't ever going to forget seeing her the way he had in the hospital wing, so bandaged up he could hardly tell it was Hermione there in the first place. _No way I'll know, even if she told me, she wouldn't tell me everything._

But there was a way he could find out. He didn't even think about it; he simply got up and headed out. McGonnagal's office was a quick jog through the halls, and in a few seconds he was knocking on the door. "Come in." Her familiar voice came from the other side. 

"Professor?" He opened the door and came in, fighting back the familiar sense of dread that went with any student going into any teacher's office for any reason. "Can I talk to you?" 

"Mr. Weasley." The Deputy Headmistress motioned briefly to a chair. "What can I do for you?" 

Ron sat down and looked at his Head of House. _I hope she can help me._ "What happened to Hermione?" 

McGonnagal studied him intently for a few moments before saying anything. He started to squirm in his seat a little from her regard, feeling as if he were eleven again and trying to convince her that the Philosopher's Stone was in danger. "She was whipped quite frequently, kicked enough to break three ribs, one of which nearly punctured her right lung, three of her fingers were broken, her left eye was burned slightly, she was afflicted with the Cruciatus Curse at least three times we can be certain of, and Madame Pomfrey is of the opinion that one or two other curses were applied that she is still working on fully reversing. Of course the emotional damage is something that can't even be spoken of, and which will take much longer to heal." There was a glint of something in her eyes, which if she'd been forty years younger, Ron might've thought was a tear. "Is there a reason you didn't ask this of Miss Granger?" 

Ron had nothing at all against being honest, especially with McGonnagal. "I didn't think she'd tell me everything." He was almost certain Hermione herself didn't even _know_ everything, too. 

"I see. Is there something else?" 

He nodded. "I want you to tell her that _she's_ the new Gryffindor Keeper." 

The corners of McGonnagal's mouth turned down slightly. "There's a problem with that. She is on the exhibition team for the parents' weekend, and as you well know, she cannot be on both." 

That was easily solved, in his mind. "Then I'll play this game, and after the exhibition game she can have the spot. She wants it, anyway." He wasn't going to tell the Professor that he'd overheard Draco and Hermione talking Quidditch in the Hospital Wing. _She wants to play Keeper, then she will. No problems there._

"Ask her before you do this." McGonnagal suggested. Ron wasn't having any of _that_, though. 

"I already know she wants it, I heard her say it." 

McGonnagal did not seem the slightest surprised by his stubbornness. "You may be surprised. At any rate, there is a scout coming to the Slytherin/Gryffindor game at the end of the year that's interested in _you_, not Miss Granger. 

_A scout???_ Ron clenched his fists tightly. "A _scout_?" 

"Oliver Wood arranged it, with Professor Dumbledore. Wood wants you to have his spot on the Puddlemere United team while he works on adjusting to his current condition." McGonnagal's lips pursed slightly at the mention of that. Oliver had been married only a year and a half when his wife had died giving birth to their only son. "He thinks that you'll be a good asset to it. Think about it, at least." 

"All right." Ron sagged back slightly into the chair. Things seemed to be piling on top of him all of a sudden, and he had no way to deal with any of them. Was this how Percy had felt when he was in his final years? So completely out of his depth? No wonder he'd been such a pain half the time. 

"I believe it's almost time for the Quidditch match, Mr. Weasley. Perhaps you should be going?" 

"Yeah. Thanks, Professor." He slouched his way out of the office and down the hall. _A scout. Great._ Three hours ago he would have been out of his skin at the notion of playing professionally. Now, he couldn't care less. He plodded along, not caring where he put his feet as long as it had solid stone under it. 

"Ooof!" He grunted as he slammed into someone, knocking them down and sending books spraying all over the hallway. "Sorry about that." 

He took a better look at whom he'd just run into and groaned. This was turning into the number one worst day of his life. Something shiny gleamed near him and he picked it up. "You dropped this, Hermione." 

"Throw it away," she started to pick her books up quickly. "I don't want it or need it or deserve it." 

Ron shrugged as he began to help her. "That's up to you. I didn't think you were the type to let other people make choices for you, though. Gryffindors are supposed to be brave, not curl up and cry every time something bad happens to them. Guess that idiot thought he was capturing a couple of Slytherins...not a Slytherin and a Gryffindor." _If she swallows that, I'm **really** going to see if she needs to go to Saint Mungo's._

"What good is being brave if one of my friends doesn't want to be my friend anymore?" A book slid from her shaking hands and he picked it up, putting it back on top of the pile. 

"Funny, I always kind of thought people were brave for their own sake, not because any one person liked them or didn't like them. Does this mean you wouldn't be such a selfish brat anymore if you stopped hanging out with Malfoy?" Ron watched her carefully. He couldn't really see her face because of how much she was shaking; her hair kept getting in the way, but he was certain he was getting through to her, somehow. "The Hermione I know and care about makes up her own mind about things and doesn't let anything get in her way, even common sense. But we'll never know if you're the real Hermione still because you don't want to know things anymore. Even how to beat something as stupid as having the crap beaten out of you." 

He carefully did the one thing he was almost sure would push her over the edge into what she really needed to do: vent. He stepped away from her. 

Almost as soon as he did, she sagged against the wall, tears sliding down her cheeks in a torrent. Her books went tumbling once more as she wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth, sobbing her soul out. Ron hesitated just for a moment, then hurried back over to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as they'd always held each other when things got rough. 

No words were said or needed, but when they finally pulled apart, both of them knew that their friendship was just as strong as it had always been, if not stronger. "I should go," she finally hiccupped out. "I'm going to talk McGonnagal into letting me miss the game. We'll talk later." She shoved her books back into her satchel once more and headed down the way he had come. 

Ron watched her go, shaking his head. _She's always been kinda mental. But I do want to talk to her._ He headed out to the changing area to get ready for the game, passing Malfoy along the way. The Slytherin held a roll of parchment in one hand, his cold eyes furious. Ron glanced at him a little. "Something wrong?" 

"Where's Hermione?" Draco hissed, more emotion visible right now than Ron could really recall seeing in quite a while, even when Hermione had been hurt. 

"I don't know." If they'd had a fight of some kind, Ron wasn't going to let him near his friend in her current condition. "Why?" 

The Malfoy heir's glare was enough to peel paint all by itself. "None of your damned business, Weasley!" 

"When it concerns my friends, it is." Ron told him coolly. Draco shrugged him off and stalked out towards the Quidditch pitch, obviously not intending on discussing the matter further. 

"You better hurry and get ready, Ron. We're playing in just a few minutes!" Ron turned at the sound of his best friend's voice to see Harry and the rest of the team coming up behind him, everyone dressed and ready for action. 

"I know." Ron hurried in to change, pulling on his scarlet robes as fast as he could. The familiar mixture of dread, anticipation, and the intense need to go to the bathroom threatened to overwhelm him as he fastened on his robes. _I love feeling like this._

Once everyone was ready, they headed towards the pitch. Harry caught Ron's arm a little. "What's with Malfoy? He was acting like...like he used to. You don't think he and Hermione broke up, do you?" 

"Maybe." Ron had no idea if he wanted this to have happened or not. He'd have to think about it. "Hermione was really upset earlier." 

Harry nodded, taking in the looks on the rest of the team's faces. "Let's win this one for her, everyone." All seven of them nodded in agreement, and the Gryffindor Quidditch Team took to the air. 

Ravenclaw was a good team, everyone knew that. But this particular team had been working together since Harry and Ron's fifth year, and they were a well-oiled and well-practiced unit. Bludgers were sent hurling away from those in scarlet and towards those in blue with almost fatal velocity at times. The Quaffle zipped by the Ravenclaw Keeper as if he wasn't even there. Harry and Lisa Turpin, the Revenclaw Seeker, soared by each other a few times, but neither saw the Snitch at the moment. Ron was keeping the goalposts safe and free of goals, knocking the Quaffle back frequently. It was a great game. 

It was also one that Hermione wasn't there to see. Draco kept part of his attention on the game, and part of it on the Gryffindor stands, trying to see if she was there anywhere. _What is **with** her?_ He clenched a piece of parchment tighter in his hand, then jerked suddenly as something small fluttered by him. A heartbeat later, Potter was floating almost in front of him, his hand clenched around the Golden Snitch. 

"Sorry." The black-haired Seeker grinned a little at him, then flew off, the prize in his hand and the applause ringing out all around him. Draco had seen enough. _If she's not here, she has to be in Gryffindor Tower. If she's not there, **someone** will know where she is._

He stalked his way inside and through the twisting corridors until he reached the portrait that hid the entrance to the Gryffindors' lofty little retreat. They were already on the way; he could hear them quite plainly, so he assumed a position of careless ease waiting for them. As the cheering group hustled up the hallway and towards him, one of them stopped and stared. 

"What do _you_ want?" It was Dean Thomas. After seven years of some shared classes, Draco had learned to recognize a few Gryffindors on sight, just by the pleasure of hearing Professor Snape take points off of them. 

"If it's any of your business, I'd like to talk to Hermione." Draco drawled out lazily. Dean glowered at him suspiciously. 

"Why?" 

_So much for the trusting Gryffindor theory._ Draco rolled his eyes mentally. "That's between us. If she's in there, have her come out here. I have no intentions of going in _there_." He'd probably spontaneously combust at the combined nobility and self-sacrifice. 

Dean leaned closer to the Fat Lady to whisper the password, keeping a wary eye on Draco the whole time. The group of them hurried in, leaving Draco out there the way he wanted to be: alone. 

"Hermione?" Dean looked at his fellow seventh year where she was staring into the common room fire. "Someone's waiting for you outside." 

She glanced up at him, her eyes red and puffy. "Who?" 

_She doesn't sound all that happy for someone whose boyfriend is out there. Maybe they're having problems?_ Dean didn't care for Malfoy one way or the other, but Hermione was his friend and housemate. If Draco hurt her in anyway, there would be Hell to pay. "Malfoy." 

Hermione hesitated for a moment, then headed out of the portrait opening. As soon as she could see him clearly, Draco held up the parchment. She recognized it easily. "I wish I hadn't sent that." She murmured quietly. 

"Why did you?" He looked right at her, not paying attention to the return of the freshly showered and changed Quidditch team. Ron and Harry were in the lead, and they all stopped as soon as they saw the little play being acted out here. 

She said nothing at first, then looked from Harry to Draco. "Wait here. I don't want to talk about it here." She walked over to Harry and tugged him a bit closer so only he could hear what she had to say. "Harry, I need to borrow something. I want to talk to Draco, but I can't do it here. I need your invisibility cloak." 

Her friend looked at her for a moment, gauging what she'd said, then nodded slightly and quickly headed into the common room, the rest of the team following at his jerked head. A few moments later he was back out and held a small bundle out to her. "Take care of it, Hermione." She didn't have to be told why. Anything that was his family's, Harry treasured above his own life. 

As the portrait swung back into place, leaving her and Draco the only ones there, she looked at him. "Your place or mine?" 

"Mine." Besides, how could they get back into the Tower without arousing some kind of suspicion? She wrapped the cloak around herself firmly, making certain it covered everything. 

"I'll be right behind you. Let's go." Together, one visible and one not, they headed for the dungeons. 

**To Be Continued**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Note:** This could be our last chapter of 2003. Our beta-reader is going on vacation and we're not entirely certain when she'll have the next section of it done. We might post more before the end of the year, we might not. You'll know when we do!_

**Chapter Nine  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Draco stalked through the corridors of Hogwarts as if the very walls themselves offended him. To anyone watching him, he would have seemed alone. But wrapped safely in Harry's invisibility cloak, Hermione followed silently. Draco said nothing until they reached the cold blank wall of the Slytherin Common room. 

"Destiny." The word slid out from between his teeth like fine wine. Gray stone slithered out of the way and Draco stalked inside, Hermione following him. He led the way to his own private room, the door clicking shut behind them. As soon as it did, she slid the cloak off. 

They stayed quiet for a few moments, Draco seated on his bed, Hermione standing there with the cloak draped over one arm, fidgeting. "My emotions have been on a roller coaster." Hermione started at last. She could see the complete lack of comprehension in Draco's eyes and groaned to herself. _Pureblood idiot!_ "That means they've been up and down and changing a lot. I haven't really felt like being around anymore. At the time, I thought that it was right to send you that." She motioned to the parchment. "But as soon as I sent it..." 

As she looked around, trying to find something to look at that wasn't those hurt gray eyes, she spied an open book near her. On the page she could see there was a lovely young woman looking out from there. It was obviously an unfinished drawing, but it still looked incredible. 

Before she could get a very good look at it, Draco pulled it away from her, closing it quickly. "It's beautiful." She told him quietly, noticing the faint red tinge to his cheeks. "I didn't know you could draw." 

"Not a lot of people do." He murmured, putting the journal away and muttering something that sounded a little like a locking spell. 

"You're good." This had to be one of the reasons she liked him. He always surprised her in one way or another. "At any rate, as soon as I sent it, I regretted it. I wish I could take it back, and never have sent it." 

She stared down at the bed for a moment, then felt strong fingers lifting her chin up. Draco's eyes touched hers, then he leaned forward and gently touched his lips to hers. She returned it softly, lifting her hands to run through his silken white hair, and smiled softly. They kissed again and again, both feeling heat build up between them. Hermione forced herself to sit back. "Are you sure about this, Draco?" She asked quietly. He nodded, looking right in her eyes. 

"Are you?" It was only fair they both be asked. She nodded slightly and certainly. "Have you ever done this before?" 

"No. Have you?" Somehow, she wasn't surprised when he nodded. He just seemed to be that type. "Well, at least one of us will know what we're doing!" 

Draco's lips twitched lightly, then he pulled his wand from his robes and flicked it lightly, murmuring a spell she recognized as being one to prevent pregnancy, then another that blocked all sound coming from inside the room from being heard outside of it. "Well," she chuckled softly. "You're thinking more clearly than I am right now." 

"That's because Slytherins _do_ think," he told her. "Gryffindors just rush in." 

"Well, if that's the case," Hermione leaned over to kiss his nose. "I'll just go back to my room." She smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her softly in return. "Let's just hope Snape or someone else doesn't come in." 

Draco shook his head. "They won't. They know if I have the silence spells up, I don't want to be disturbed." 

"Good." Hermione smiled softly. "I'd hate to get expelled _this_ close to the end of our last year." 

"So would I." Draco moved closer to her and kissed her again and again. She touched his face lightly, then all rational thought vanished as primal instinct took over and they were no longer two but one joined being. 

Ginny knocked lightly on Hermione's door, her Potions book clutched in one hand as her other hand tried to stifle a yawn. _I hope she doesn't mind giving me a quick lesson before breakfast._ She knocked again, realizing no one had said anything from the other side. "Hermione?" 

When almost five minutes had passed and there was _still_ no answer, Ginny carefully turned the knob and peeked inside. There was no sign of Hermione anywhere. _The bed's made too. This is weird! It's morning, she should be here!_

Ginny hurried over to the seventh year boys' dormitory and knocked quickly, then pushed the door open and ran to Ron's bed. "Ron!" She shoved at him as he pushed his head under his pillow. "Ron! Hermione's missing!" 

"What?" He tried to look up at her but since his head was buried, that was a little hard. 

"Shut up," Harry groaned from across the room, peering out from behind his curtains. He definitely looked horrible first thing in the morning. 

"Harry!" Ginny protested. "Hermione's not been in her room all night. She's missing!" 

The dark haired boy yawned. "She's not missing. She borrowed my cloak to talk to Malfoy." 

Ginny shook her head. "All night?" She could understand talking to Harry all night, but this was _Malfoy_! 

Harry yawned deeply. "They probably fell asleep." He started to tuck himself back into the bed when Ginny kicked the side of it. 

"This is Malfoy and Hermione we're talking about," Ron reminded them, "the kissing duo." 

Ginny shook her head. "The two people who can't keep their hands off of each other." She stiffened, a slight twinge of envy stabbing. "You don't think they...you know..." 

"Ginny!" Ron snapped at her suddenly. "Do you mind _not_ talking like that, and get out of our room!" 

His sister rolled her eyes. "Ron, I'm not a little kid anymore. Besides, why would I want to stick around here and see your naked rear end? _Ew_!" 

Harry laughed as Ron turned bright red. "Let us get up and we'll meet you in the common room." Ginny nodded at him, then headed out of the room. As the door closed behind her, Harry shook his head at his friend. "Ron, you've got to be more careful how you treat your sister." 

"She's my _sister_!" Ron reminded him as he tried to squirm his way out of the nest of blankets that were wrapped around him. "I have to look out for her!" 

"She's old enough to look out for herself," Harry reminded him, getting up and starting to tug his clothes on. "At any rate, she's not going to make the mistakes others made. And she's a Weasley. If she's anything like your mother..." He shivered slightly at the thought. "Just don't try to push her around." 

Ron grumbled something that vaguely sounded like assent as Harry finished pulling himself into order. The Boy Who Lived glanced at his friend and noticed Ron had somehow managed to get a few of his own clothes on: inside out. "And Ron...don't dress in the dark." 

The redhead yanked open the curtains and stared down at himself in the early morning sunlight, then groaned. "Why does this happen to _me_?" 

Harry chuckled slightly to himself as he came into the common room, nodding at Ginny as he did. He was about to ask her why she'd been trying to get Hermione up in the first place when the portrait hole opened up and a very disappointed looking Professor McGonnagal came in. "Professor? Something wrong?" 

"Some of the third year Gryffindors were quite busy last night." The Transfiguration Professor informed him. "I was busy deactivating their pranks over half the castle." 

Harry winced lightly. "Sounds like the Weasley twins are selling out of things from their store." 

"I don't begrudge them a profit," his Head of House sighed in exasperation. "But I also do not appreciate waking up to _this_." Her wand flicked lightly, and her hair changed from the normal black to red and gold streaks. "I support Gryffindor wholeheartedly, but I believe this is somewhat too far." 

Harry nodded slowly. "Way too far." He hesitated slightly. "Have you seen Hermione?" 

The Professor raised one eyebrow. "And why would she not be here?" 

"Harry, have you found her?" Ginny bounced into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh...hi, Professor." 

McGonnagal nodded slightly. "Do enlighten me, Miss Weasley, as to what is the matter." 

Ginny fidgeted, the tips of her ears turning red much as Ron's did when he was on the spot, and Harry was forcibly reminded of the times she'd dive under furniture any time he was in the area. He stepped forward, hoping to ease the pressure on her. "Hermione's not in her room, and she hasn't been there all night." 

"Right." Ginny smiled briefly at him. "The last time anyone saw her, she and Malfoy were going to talk." 

"Professor!" Ron hopped into the room pulling his shoes on and stared at the display before him. "What happened to your hair??" 

"The third years." That was all she had to say. Ron winced faintly and shook his head. There were days he wasn't all that thrilled at being a Weasley. 

"I'll tell my brothers to watch how much they sell to students...again." He promised. Ginny grinned suddenly, a gleam in her brown eyes. 

"Can I try this time? They might listen to me...if I use the right tactics." There was something about that gleam that _really_ worried him. 

"Tactics?" 

His sister grinned, and in that grin he saw shades of Fred and George, and Ron Weasley felt true fear for the first time since he'd met Aragog the Acromantula. "I'm going to bring Mom with me." 

"That'll do it." Harry muttered. Professor McGonnagal's lips twitched just the tiniest bit as she restored the glamour covering her hair's current condition. 

"Excuse me. I must find Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy." Their Head of House swept out of the room, the portrait hole closing neatly behind her. Harry sagged down into a chair, relishing the feeling of a spotlight having moved off of him. 

"How did she know that Hermione wasn't here?" Ron wondered. Harry shook his head. 

"She didn't. I asked if she knew, and...well, she didn't." 

Ron grunted in annoyance. Even _more_ points were probably going to be taken from Gryffindor because of this. He sagged next to Harry just as his friend's mouth cracked open wide with a yawn. "I agree," the redhead nodded. "Too early." 

"Well, you'd still be asleep if Hermione was here," Ginny reminded him. Ron rolled his head around to look at her. 

"What are you doing up so early, anyway, Ginny?" 

She shrugged, glad she'd dropped the Potions book in her room. She had no idea how Ron would react to find out she actually _liked_ the subject, and hearing him rant about how much of a git Snape was really wasn't her idea of a good morning. _Not that he's wrong. I just don't want to hear it._ "Couldn't sleep." 

"So you were going to wake up someone else? That's smart." Ron's retort might've sounded better if he wasn't yawning halfway through it. 

"She hasn't been sleeping that much since she got out of the Hospital Wing," Ginny reminded him. "I went in there to see if she was awake and wanted to talk. I'm worried about her. Aren't you guys?" 

Ron nodded absently. "Of course! I wouldn't wake her up, though." 

"Didn't you hear me?" Ginny wondered if it were possible that her brother's brains turned to sludge before he got his morning infusion of food. "She hasn't been sleeping, not since she got back here! Or did you fail to notice the huge bags under her eyes!" 

Her brother didn't seem to quite grasp what she was saying. "So she might've _been_ sleeping." 

"If she was, I was going to come down here, and read." Ginny grated the words out. Ron just shrugged, yawning again and leaning his head against one of the sofa cushions. 

"She's probably asleep now. If she were awake, she'd be back here." He closed his eyes and was sound asleep a few seconds later. Ginny fidgeted with her wand for a moment. 

_Would it be worth the point loss to Gryffindor to turn him into a salamandar or something?_ She wasn't bad at Transfiguration and it might do Ron some good. _I doubt he'd notice._ She slipped her wand away and headed up to her room. _I just hope it was worth it, Hermione._

Hermione covered her face for a moment, then opened her eyes. "Draco! It's morning! I have to go!" One pale arm snuggled a little closer to her and a sleepy noise sounded in her ear. She shoved at him roughly. "I have to go! I'm going to get into so much trouble!" 

"All right," Draco yawned sleepily and sat up, his hair mussed from its usual blonde perfection and the most adorable confused expression on his face. 

"Walk me out?" Hermione asked as she yanked on her robes and made certain everything was in place. Draco nodded slightly as he pulled himself together as well, stumbling back as he did so. A few drawing pencils scattered to the ground as he bumped into a table, one rolling over to Hermione's feet. _That reminds me..._ As she handed it over to him, she asked, "Who was that girl in the drawing, anyway?" 

"Someone who doesn't really exist." Draco murmured, shutting the pencils out of sight. Some of Hermione's confusion must have shown on her face, since he went on, "If my twin sister had lived, that's what I think she would have looked like." 

"You had a twin?" Hermione had always wanted some kind of sibling. _That did look somewhat like him, if he were a girl. Draco as a girl...weird. But still kind of cute._

He nodded ever so slightly. "She died when we were about a year old." As he turned away to check his look in the mirror, Hermione caught a glimpse of something gleaming in one of his eyes for a heartbeat. 

_Was that a tear?_ There was no way to be certain and she didn't have time to worry about it right now. She crossed over to him and wrapped her arms around him gently, feeling him lean on her for a brief second, then pull away. "We have to go." 

"Right." She glanced around saw the silvery material of the invisibility cloak piled in one corner. "To think," she mused as she picked it up carefully, "this has saved us so many times." 

"I wish I'd known about it." Draco muttered softly, eyeing it with a mixture of greed and envy in his pale eyes. 

Hermione wrapped it around herself and slid the hood over her head, fading away completely. "What? And get us expelled?" 

"I would've liked that in first year," Draco reminded her lightly. Hermione thought for a moment, then nodded. 

"When you were spying on us at Hagrid's?" 

"Of course. Illegal dragons are illegal for a _reason_." Draco's lips twisted in an amused smirk. "And then Potter sneaking out to Hogsmeade without permission in third year." 

Hermione declined to say anything in opposition to that; Harry had been breaking the rules after all. So she said something else. "We should go before someone notices that it's missing." 

The two of them headed quickly out of the dungeons, then towards Gryffindor Tower. _It's too early for anyone to be up. Thankfully._ Hermione noticed with gratitude. Her gratitude vanished as they turned a corner, however. 

"Mr. Malfoy. Going for an early morning stroll?" Professor Snape looked down his hooked nose at him. Hermione relaxed; for a heartbeat she'd forgotten that she was wearing the invisibility cloak. 

Draco grinned a little at his Head of House. "Why not? It's a nice morning." 

"Of course." Snape nodded slightly, then walked on by. Hermione tried not to breathe too hard in relief; if he saw her there, there was no way he wouldn't take points off of Gryffindor. _And that's all he'd do if I were lucky. Detention with Snape. Ew._

Once he was out of sight, the two of them hurried onward. Three corridors away from Gryffindor tower, Hermione pulled to a stop and lowered the cloak's hood. "Draco?" 

"Yes?" 

She smiled at him. "Thank you for a wonderful time. My head feels a lot clearer." They hugged lightly, and she squeezed his hand gently before removing the cloak fully and carrying it over one arm. It wouldn't do for any early riser to see Draco in the area without her. "Walk with me to the portrait hole?" 

Before they could get more than a few steps, however, someone else turned the corner: a tall, imposing black haired witch. "Good morning, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy." Professor McGonnagal's stern eyes seemed just ever so slightly amused by this. "And how are you feeling today?" 

"Wonderful." Hermione proclaimed, wishing there were some other word to convey just how right she felt inside. Everything was working out just the way it should. 

Draco wasn't the type to describe things quite like that, but he made an effort. "It's quite amazing what nice long chats can accomplish." He even managed to smile at the Transfiguration teacher. It was just a little one, but it qualified. 

McGonnagal nodded. "I see. Night long chats, as well." From the way her eyebrows bent towards them, it was obvious she knew exactly what they'd been up to. Hermione squirmed slightly, feeling as if she were thirteen again and trying to persuade her teacher to let her use the Time Turner. "Please don't make a habit of this. I would hope that you also took the proper precautions." 

Both of them nodded quickly in agreement. Hermione heard Draco murmuring something about how he wasn't some stupid forgetful Hufflepuff. "We used the anti-pregnancy spell and the soundproofing spell." Hermione reassured her. "We'll see you later, Professor. We have to get ready for class." 

"Of course." McGonnagal swept along her way, leaving the two of them alone. Hermione glanced after the professor, shaking her head. 

"I am so glad we didn't get points taken away." The race for the House Cup was close, and she was still a loyal Gryffindor. 

Draco's shoulders rippled in a shrug. "I always thought she was a softie." 

"She's the one who taught you how to be an animagus, though, isn't she?" Hermione wondered. Draco nodded, his cheeks coloring faintly at the thought of needing help from a Gryffindor, much less the Head of the House, and she grinned. "I always thought ferrets were cute." 

Draco said nothing at all, but she fancied that she saw yet another of those fleeting smiles. As they came up to the Fat Lady, she touched his hand to get his attention. "Thanks, for everything." 

"My pleasure." He told her formally. She fidgeted slightly, eyes flicking over to where the portrait was waiting to see what they would do next. 

"So, are we back together, then?" 

That eyebrow went up just a bit, then he nodded slightly. "I would hope so, given what we did last night." 

"So would I." Hermione reached out and touched his face lightly before pulling her hand back and grinning. "I should shower...and so should you!" She turned towards the portrait, then back to him. "See you in Potions." Without looking back, she whispered the password and headed into the common room. 

The first people she saw were Ron and Harry, disapproving looks on their faces. They might have worried her a bit more if Ron wasn't trying to hide the occasional yawn behind his hand. "You two are up early." 

"_You_ had a really long talk, I see." Harry commented, his voice ever so bland and reeking of 'my best friend is being naughty'. 

"We sort of fell asleep," Hermione admitted, her eyes flicking over to Ron as he said something that was half-garbled by his yawn. She thought she knew what it was, though. "After. I've got to get a shower." She handed the invisibility cloak over to Harry. "Don't worry, it wasn't anywhere near us when we...talked." 

"Thanks." Harry was willing to do quite a lot for his friends, but _that_ wasn't one of the things he would let pass. 

Hermione hurried to the nearest bathroom after getting her usual morning requirements, and smiled briefly as she saw Ginny Weasley there. "Hi, Ginny." That reminded her of something that she wanted to take care of. 

"Have a good night?" Ginny asked with a knowing grin. Hermione blushed and nodded, wondering just who else in Hogwarts knew her private business now. _Then again, Dumbledore said it right once. What happened is a total secret. So naturally everyone knows._

"Ginny, we never really did get that chance to talk," Hermione reminded her friend. "Come up to my room while I change and we can talk there?" They still had a little time before breakfast. Not much, but a little. 

Once they were safely inside with the door closed, Hermione started on what she really wanted to know. "So, tell me. Do you like Harry?" The answer she got, and that she was almost expecting, was a deep Weasley blush. "Ask him out. Being in a relationship is incredible, as long as you're in it with the right person." She glanced at her quiet young friend and smiled a bit. "I think Harry likes you, too." 

"Really?" Ginny wondered, her brown eyes brightening with hope. "You mean it?" 

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't," Hermione reminded her. "I've seen how he looks at you." She carefully brushed out her hair and worked it into a ponytail. "Oh, you know that exchange group that's coming in a couple of weeks?" 

Ginny nodded; it was yet another side effect of the programs that Dumbledore had been working on since after Voldemort's return to get all of wizardkind working together. Ten witches from the Salem Witches' Institute would be coming over while ten from Hogwarts were heading there. "I can't wait to see them all." 

"My cousin is one of them." Hermione could hardly wait to see Sam again. It had been quite a while since their last visit together. 

"Really?" Ginny looked rather surprised. "I didn't know that you had a cousin in America." 

Hermione nodded; she didn't really talk about her family that much at Hogwarts. It wasn't as if anyone really wanted to hear about a pair of Muggle dentists, anyway. "My dad's sister moved there. She wound up marrying someone who turned out to be a wizard. Sam and I look almost exactly alike, too." 

Ginny grinned; she liked hearing about Hermione's relatives. "Was she surprised because you're a witch too?" 

"She just found out this year." Hermione chuckled to herself. _Sam almost had a heart attack when I came in on her practicing her wand movements. She thought she was going to have to do a Memory Charm on me._

The redhead leaned back a little as she situated herself on Hermione's bed a little more. "So, did you enjoy yourself?" 

"How did you find out?" Hermione countered the question with a question of her own. If her love life were going to be the talk of the school, she at least deserved to know how the news got out! 

"I was the one who tried to wake you up, only you weren't here to _be_ woken up." Ginny told her. Hermione eased herself into her chair, her legs suddenly weak. 

"We had lots of fun. Merlin, the whole _school_ is going to know!" The Muggleborn witch shook her head. "As soon as I came in, Harry and Ron were about to try and give me a lecture. I got out of it, but I did get one from Professor McGonnagal." She thought for a moment. "Well, it wasn't a real lecture, she just wanted to make certain we'd been protected. Sound, pregnancy, that kind of thing. Which we were." 

Ginny shuddered violently. "I think that's a little more than I really wanted to know, Hermione." 

"Let's get Harry and Ron and go to breakfast, then," Hermione stood up and adjusted her robe and cloak. "Then you can ask Harry out." 

The other girl gulped briefly, then gripped her courage in mental hands. "All right. Let's go." 

When the two of them got back to the common room, Ron and Harry were still there talking. Hermione cleared her throat as obnoxiously as possible. "Come on, Ron. Let Harry and Ginny talk for a moment. Alone." 

Ron didn't seem all that inclined to move, until Hermione took him firmly by one arm and yanked him out of the room, letting the portrait close behind them. Harry glanced briefly towards them, then looked back at Ginny, fidgeting nervously. 

_It's been a while since we were ever alone together._ Harry fidgeted a little more, trying and failing repeatedly to say anything that resembled coherent English. 

Ginny wasn't feeling much more composed herself. She squeezed the ends of her robe sleeves, then blurted, "Would you go out with me?" 

He had never felt so relieved in his life. Now he didn't have to ask! "Sure!" _I'm going to thank Hermione. Somehow._ He smiled happily at her, feeling warm and good inside. "Let's go to breakfast?" 

Hermione sipped a little pumpkin juice and enjoyed the morning amusement: watching Ron look worried and stare at the doors to the Great Hall. "Don't worry," she finally said. "Nothing _bad_ is going to happen. Haven't you noticed how Ginny looks at Harry all the time?" 

"Hermione, I'm stubborn, not blind." 

She rolled her eyes. "Who would you trust with your sister more than Harry?" Ron grinned at her. 

"Me?" 

"Ew!" Hermione shuddered, then grinned as two people appeared in the doorway. "Here they come. Aw, they're holding hands!" Her eyes lit up even more as she saw Draco coming in behind them. She waved at him slightly, thrilling when he nodded slightly in return. Maybe he was softening just a little? No, probably not. She could see the way Ron was looking at her, with a slightly amused grin on his face. "I wonder if the whole school knows yet." 

Ron shrugged as he started to fork more food into his mouth. "I have no idea. Probably close to it." 

"I feel like myself again," Hermione almost felt like twirling around and singing. Almost. If she'd been in a bad Disney movie, maybe. 

"Good," Ron gulped down some pumpkin juice and wiped his mouth. "I didn't know who you were yesterday and I'm not all that sure I liked that person." 

"I know I didn't." Hermione murmured, thinking back to how depressed and lifeless she'd felt. She glanced up as Harry and Ginny got to their side of the table. "Hey, you two. Better hurry before Ron eats everything." 

Harry glanced at the plate in front of his friend. "You wouldn't eat everything, would you, Ron?" 

"Growing boy!" Ron declared, grinning widely. "You wouldn't deny me the chance to grow, would you?" 

"Growing into _what_?" Harry teased his tall friend. "A giant?" 

Hermione grinned at him in her own turn. "Or Goyle?" 

"Hey!" Ron and Harry shuddered almost in unison, and the redhead glared at her. "That was an insult!" 

A low half-drawl of a chuckle came from behind Ron. "You figured that out all on your own, Weasley?" The three of them all jerked around to see Draco standing there, an amused glint in his pale eyes. 

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Hermione looked as if she might be trying to laugh herself. 

"My girlfriend, _if_ that's not a problem," Draco glanced over at Hermione, his every line and word declaring that he really didn't care if Harry thought it _was_ a problem. "If you're feeling up to it, I believe there's a very nice sky outside with lots of space for flying for two." 

Hermione nodded. "It should stay that way until after class, and I don't think anyone's planning on doing any Quidditch practicing today." 

"I believe you're right," Draco's attention was focused solely on her, ignoring the rest of the Gryffindor table staring at them. "Are you free after class?" 

She thought for a few moments. _I still need to get caught up for those lessons I've missed while we were gone. I could use the fresh air, though._ The weekend was coming up, too, and she could use that time to get caught up again. It wouldn't be that hard. "I think so. I'll have to borrow a broom, though." 

"Of course." Draco didn't bat so much as an eye at the reminder of what had happened to her original one. "I'll see you after classes, then." He nodded slightly at her, then strolled away, every inch the snobby Slytherin he'd always been, and probably always would be. 

Ron watched him go, then looked over at Hermione. "Be careful." She looked at him in confusion; he wasn't _still_ going on about Draco, was he? "It hasn't been all that long since you were all emotional and unsteady. You don't want to fall off of the broom. OW!" He glared at her as she pulled her foot back from slamming him in the leg with it and stuck her tongue out at him. 

"Don't be late for class," she finished up her breakfast and headed up to her room. _I knew I was going to forget something._ She was glad she'd managed to have some kind of hand in getting Ginny and Harry together, but she'd forgotten her books! 

She swung the door open and started inside her room, then stared in surprise. _What in the world..._ Laying on her bed was a long, slender package, bringing back fleeting memories of her first year. Hermione clenched her fists for a moment, her eyes flicking to where her wand lay on her study desk. _If this is some kind of trick..._

A card lay next to the package and she carefully picked it up, trying her best to ignore the trembling in her fingers as she did so. The handwriting inside wasn't really familiar, but the name at the bottom of it was: Narcissa Malfoy. 

_Thank you for your actions with my son during your recent captivity. Consider this a thank-you gift. I hope that we can meet in person some day very soon. Narcissa Malfoy._

Hermione stared at the long, slender gift on the bed once more, then carefully set the card down and started to unwrap. What fell into her lap was a nearly gleaming broom. Hermione would not have been that surprised if her eyes had fallen out in shock. "If this isn't a trick...I can't accept it." _I was going to buy one when I had the money...I just **can't** take it._

"Hermione, I was wondering, do you..." Hermione looked up to see Lavender Brown staring at her in surprise. No, not at her...at the broom! "Oh, _wow_!" 

Hermione frowned; she hadn't seen Lavender look this surprised since Trelawney had predicted that she was going to be the Divination teacher one day. "Wow?" 

"That's a Nova 2097! I didn't think they were ready for the market yet!" Lavender just kept on staring, looking more in awe than Ron and Oliver Wood had when they'd first seen Harry's Firebolt. 

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure if they are or not, it was delivered here while I was at breakfast." She eyed the way her friend was staring at the broom warily. _Is she drooling?_ "Is something wrong?" 

"This thing puts the _Firebolt_ to shame!" Lavender told her, rattling off stats and features that made absolutely no sense to Hermione in the first place, even after seven years of hanging out with two of the most Quidditch-obsessed people in Hogwarts. 

"How do you know all of that?" Hermione wondered. She had never really noticed Lavender to be all that interested in brooms or Quidditch, other than to comment that the occasional other house players were cute. 

Lavender shrugged lightly. "My dad owns the Nova Company. He bought out the Comet Trading Company a couple of years ago and Research and Development has been trying to work out something to compete with the Firebolt ever since." She looked slightly ashamed for a moment. "That's one reason he wanted me to go into Divination. He wanted to know if there was ever a chance he _could_ compete." 

Hermione sat there and stared at her. _Why do I suddenly feel as if I don't know her at all?_ They had roomed together for years, but they had never actually _talked_. Hermione had always dismissed Lavender and Parvati's obsession with Divination as the two of them just wanting easy grades. She couldn't escape the notion that she'd missed out on something. 

"Who sent this to you?" Lavender wondered, one hand almost touching the shaft. 

Hermione glanced at the card. "According to the card, it was a gift from Draco's mother." 

"And you don't believe it?" The other girl's gaze was amazingly sharp, something that Hermione hadn't often associated with her since their third year. 

"Part of me is scared that this is a trick, and if it isn't, I can't accept a gift like this." 

Lavender shrugged. "Why not?" 

"I don't want to look like a gold digger for one." Hermione vividly recalled one girl the previous year who had tried to come onto Harry, once the news about his family fortune had gotten out to Hogwarts at large. That girl had also spent part of her year as a three toed sloth. No one had figured out who did it, but Hermione's money was on Ginny. 

The other seventh year looked at her. "You really love Draco, don't you?" 

"Would I be with him if I didn't?" 

Lavender shrugged once more. "If you ask some people, they figure you're just trying to get back at Ron for what he did to you." Hermione remembered belatedly that if there was one person who was _always_ up on Hogwarts gossip, some of it before the participants themselves knew, it was Lavender. 

"Do I look like the vengeful type, Lavender?" Hermione asked her. Lavender laughed. 

"Hermione, you slapped Draco silly for calling you Mudblood once." 

Hermione flushed slightly. "All right, you got me there. I did slap him, but people change." Not that she wouldn't slap him if he needed it now. Sometimes that was all that could get through to some people. 

"You still didn't answer the question. _Do_ you love him?" Lavender's eyes never left her face, and there was something a little odd in their intensity. As if she already knew the answer, and just wanted Hermione to admit it to herself. 

"I care for him a lot," Hermione decided to be a little more honest this time than before. "But I don't know if I've truly _fallen_ in love with him, but it's close if it isn't." 

Lavender nodded approvingly. "So don't worry about what other people think. _You_ know what's true and what isn't. That's what counts." 

"I still don't like accepting that broom." Hermione glanced down at it again, touching the bristles for a moment. She could feel the magic in them, just wanting and waiting to be used. 

"If anyone asks, tell them you don't know who sent it. Harry got that Firebolt in third year, and no one else knew who it was from." Lavender reminded her. Hermione smiled slightly as she looked away. 

"Maybe I'll feel better about it when I find out for certain that it's from his mother, and not some kind of trick." 

"So ask him." That came out in a tone of 'duh'. 

Hermione nodded. "I will, when we go flying this afternoon. What did you want to see me about, anyway?" 

"Oh, I missed Care of Magical Creatures yesterday. Do you have the notes?" Lavender stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of her robe absently. Hermione nodded. 

"I'll get them for you at lunch." She was probably one of the only people who actually took notes during that class, especially with Hagrid teaching it. Usually just surviving his final exams were all you needed to do, and that was easy. 

"Thanks." Lavender watched her put the broom back on the bed with a slightly hungry look to her eyes, then the two of them headed off for their first class. 

**To Be Continued**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione ran for the Great Hall, the new broom in one hand and the card in the other. She could see Draco standing at the doors with his own broom ready, looking at her curiously as she came up. "Whose broom did you borrow?" He wondered. 

"No one." She paused to catch her breath a little. "I think we should talk before flying." She handed over the card, watching as he read it quickly. "Did you know anything about this?" 

The blond shook his head. "I can owl her, though." He sounded just as surprised as she had been when she'd seen it, if not more so. His broom was good, but it wasn't quite as good as this, after all. 

"Please. I'd hate for this to be some kind of trick." Hermione touched the broom lightly, shivering. She hadn't flown on it once, but it seemed to quiver in her hand, wanting to soar with her. She knew brooms didn't really have minds of their own, but this just seemed...special. 

Draco considered for a few moments. "I can do it now. It'll take a while for it to get there and back, though." Unspoken, but clearly audible, was the hint of 'let's do it and get it over with'. 

"That's fine. We can still go flying afterwards." Hermione wanted to know the answer as fast as she could. In the next thirty seconds would be _very_ nice. 

It didn't take very long to get a parchment, quill, and owl, and very soon the message was winging its way towards Malfoy Manor. Draco looked over at her as the owl flew out of sight. "Ready?" 

"Ready." As she watched it fly, she remembered something that McGonnagal had told her about. "Oh! I made the exhibition team! It's going to be girls versus the boys, Slytherin/Gryffindor on one side, Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff on the other." 

"Congratulations." Draco nodded slightly as they mounted their brooms and headed into the skies. The air whipped all around them both, sending their robes and hair flying this way and that as they soared. Hermione smiled to herself; this was definitely more fun than it had been when she was younger! 

She glanced over at where Draco was, then angled her broom closer to him. When he looked over at her, she leaned in just enough and kissed him. Emotions for which she had no kind of name swept all through her and she shivered, almost falling off of her broom. She tugged back some, trying to keep herself balanced. "Maybe we should land for awhile?" 

"You're probably right." The two of them landed on the Quidditch field, just as the Ravenclaw team was vacating it. One of them stared at the two arrivals for a while, and that reminded Hermione of something. 

"Was it just me or was the whole school staring at us today?" 

Draco shook his head. "It wasn't you." 

"I think they know what we did last night." Hermione said quietly. "Let them stare. Rumors about _us_ will die down now that Ginny and Harry are _finally_ dating!" 

"She's been after him since as far back as I can remember. It's about time." Draco snorted. She wasn't surprised; it had hardly been a secret after all. 

"But there will be talk. That leaves us to ourselves, though." She smiled a bit, then looked at him. Something flickered in his eyes. "Something on your mind?" 

He said nothing for a few moments, then nodded slightly. "You." 

"What about me?" 

"Everything." Draco's voice was quiet and firm. Nothing was said for a few moments, then she sat down, patting the ground beside her. 

"Anything in particular I can do to help that?" Hermione wondered as he sat down next to her. He shrugged a bit. 

"I don't know." A long silence stretched out between them. "I like to think about you." 

Hermione smiled a bit as she leaned closer to him. "I've been trying to remember what some of those spells they cast on me were. One of them has been _very_ hard to find." 

"Which one?" Draco wondered, frowning as she told him the name of it. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it offhand. He'd probably read it in one of the spellbooks at home; he'd had to memorize quite a few of them. 

"I can't find it in _any_ of the books in the library." Hermione fretted, her fingers going through the grass on the pitch. "I don't like that." 

Draco nodded; he wasn't surprised at all by her reactions. "I might be able to look it up at home." She nodded slightly, and this time he was the one who saw something flickering through her eyes. "What's on your mind?" 

"You." Just as he'd asked her question, now she returned it with his answer. His lips quirked ever so slightly, and she grinned at him. "And last night." The hand of hers that wasn't worriedly moving among the grasses found his hand and squeezed lightly. She was about to lean towards him when the sound of a throat clearing interrupted them. 

Professor Snape stood just outside the Quidditch pitch, his black gaze on both of them. "Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you both. Immediately." 

Draco nodded as he scrambled to his feet, followed by Hermione. The two of them let the Potions Master walk ahead of them until they reached the statue that lead to the Headmaster's office. Snape looked at the gargoyle with a faintly suffering expression. "Jelly Beans." 

A giggle escaped Hermione as the two of them stepped onto the revealed stairs, while Draco just rolled his eyes. Dumbledore was definitely too Muggle-fixated. 

"Ah, come in," Dumbledore motioned for the two of them to sit as they arrived in his office. "I have heard some very serious rumors about the two of you." 

Draco looked as innocent as it were possible for him to look right now. "Rumors?" 

"What happened last night?" The Headmaster got right to the point. Draco met his blue eyes with his own gray-steel ones. 

"It's personal." The staff here had no right to pry into his personal affairs! It wasn't their concern! 

The old wizard didn't flinch from the Malfoy gaze for so much as a heartbeat. "If there were rules broken, then it is no longer personal. Was Miss Granger in your room last night?" 

Draco had always heard that no one could lie to Albus Dumbledore. Now he understood why they said that. Those eyes seemed to be boring into his very soul, unnerving him more than anyone ever had. "Yes." 

"Miss Granger, I fear I must deduct fifty points from Gryffindor," the Headmaster said after Draco's admittance. Hermione could feel the blood draining from her cheeks as he looked at a sudden image of the hourglasses that tallied the house points. "However, there is another instance which I wished to talk to both of you about." 

"Which is?" Draco wondered. What _else_ was going on? He couldn't deny that hearing the deduction was nice, but what else could they have done? 

"Your time away from Hogwarts. There are points to be placed there." Dumbledore's merry blue eyes shifted from one to the other of them. "Each of your houses is awarded fifty points for your deeds done in saving the other's life." He smiled as Hermione lit up; that would at least leave them right where they'd been before! "And for the last...Miss Granger, I understand that you've been searching for the effects of a certain spell." 

She nodded quickly. "I've looked all through the library and nothing's there." 

"It should be in here." The Headmaster handed a slender book over to her. "Please return it to either Professor McGonnagal or myself when you are done with it." 

"Thank you, sir!" Hermione clasped the book closer, her fingers caressing the leather bound spine happily. Her answers were so close... 

The white-haired old wizard nodded slightly. "Also, please remember that Friday we have a meeting about the exchange. It is in less than a fortnight, as I'm certain you recall." He glanced over at a clock on the wall, and nodded. "As it is, it is nearly time for dinner." Indeed, one of the hands was clearly marked 'Let's eat!!' 

"Thank you, sir." Draco nodded politely at him. Hermione was impressed; she certainly wouldn't have thought that the boy she'd met seven years earlier would ever be polite to someone he'd referred to very often as a Muggle loving fool. 

_Then again, they are tied with us in points right now, and he probably doesn't want to lose any._ She stood up and nodded her own farewell. "We'll see you there." 

As the two of them headed for the Great Hall, Hermione glanced over at him. "You're looking fairly smug at the thought of being _tied_ with Gryffindor." 

"Why shouldn't I be?" Draco grinned a little. "We can get ahead of you in our next potions class, after all. Maybe we'll finally win this year." 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Who knows...maybe Goyle will screw up somewhere and lose you another hundred points or so?" 

A flash of competitiveness surged in his gray eyes. "He'd _better_ not." There was no doubt he'd issue some kind of reprimand to his lackey if that happened. 

"I'll see you at dinner." Hermione nodded as she headed up towards the tower, and he headed for the dungeons. This dating a Slytherin thing wasn't so bad. 

Of course that probably would've been hard to really explain to Ron and Harry, who she met almost as soon as she entered the tower. Without speaking or doing more than just nodding hellos, they followed her to her room. 

"Hey," She turned to see Ron staring at her new broom as she went to put it away. "Where'd you get that?" 

"Draco's mother sent it to me." Hermione told him, hanging it in the closet. Ron looked as if he were about to start drooling at any second, then began to rattle off stats just as fast as Lavender had. She chuckled a little. "I know all that." She shook her head a little. "Dumbledore fined me fifty points for being with Draco last night." Both of them stared at her with twin expressions of shock. "And we gained some because of what happened while we were captured." 

"How much?" Ron asked, fidgeting slightly at the same time. Gryffindor had been winning so consistently, they just _couldn't_ screw up now! 

"Fifty, but Slytherin also gained the same amount." She rolled her eyes as the redhead groaned depressively. "Well, Draco _did_ save my life, too!" 

Her friend didn't look all that thrilled. "I know, I know." 

"We're tied." Hermione reminded them. "So no more screwing up." 

Ron shot her a quick look. "That goes for you too, you know." 

"I'll be careful," Hermione promised, then grinned. "I won't get caught next time." She could see them both shuddering and burst out laughing. "Just kidding. Next time will not be for a _long_ time. Let's get to dinner. I've got a lot of homework to do tonight, and I want to get an early start on it." 

Once they were down in the Great Hall, Hermione found her attention drawn inexorably to the Slytherin side of the room. _He's not there._ That was something unexpected. She'd never really known him to miss a meal without a reason. She was just starting to wonder where he was, when he walked in, followed by Crabbe and Goyle just as he always had been. _I wasn't worried about him. Really I wasn't._

Hermione barely paid attention to the hum of conversation all around her. The only thing she was really thinking about was the book that Dumbledore had given her, and she made her way back to her room to it as swiftly as she could. _I should be doing my homework, but I **have** to find out._

She paged through it carefully, reading each spell to see if it matched anything in her memory. Almost an hour had passed before she stopped and stared down at one particular entry. _I have to talk to Draco._ The Muggleborn witch scrambled to her feet and ran to find him, dodging everyone and anyone who got in the way before she saw a familiar flash of pale hair. 

"Draco!" Hermione pushed Crabbe and Goyle aside and seized his arm. "We have to talk. _Now_." Something of her panic must have transmitted itself to him, as he dismissed his goons and headed outside with her. Once they were out of earshot of everyone, she opened the book and pointed. "That's it! That's the spell!" He leaned over to read the description of it as she continued. "That protection spell we used, it's not compatible with this. Which means it wouldn't have worked!" She stared into his eyes. "I might be pregnant." 

Draco frowned in thought, considering what he knew of female biology. "The odds are highly against it." After all, how many girls got pregnant their first time? None that _he_ knew. Of course they'd all used the proper spells against it. 

"Not if I started my cycle today." 

He nodded slowly. "We need to ask Madam Pomfrey." Without another word the two of them headed up to the hospital wing, ignoring the looks from people of all Houses as they walked together. 

"Madam Pomfrey," Draco called to the nurse as they entered. "We may have a problem." 

The mediwitch listened as the two of them described the exact situation and why they feared what they did. She nodded slightly once they were through, then pointed to the nearest bed. "Sit, Miss Granger." 

Hermione settled herself in, glancing nervously at Draco at the same time. Madam Pomfrey came over before they could even begin to mutter anything to each other, a cup held in one hand and her wand in the other. "Drink this," the mediwitch told her sharply. Hermione eyed it for a moment; whatever it was, was thick, green, and reeked of rotten oysters. "Drink it." 

There was no denying that tone of voice. Hermione gulped it all down, and started shivering even before she had finished it. The nurse just watched her calmly, keeping track of the time until five minutes had passed. Then she pointed her wand at Hermione's stomach and whispered something under her breath. A small point of white light appeared at the tip of it, glowing brightly enough to cast shadows for a moment, then went out. 

"Not pregnant." Pomfrey declared, extinguishing the light. Draco looked at her in surprise. 

"Are you certain?" 

"Mr. Malfoy, I am. Has anyone told you how hard it is for someone with Veela blood to impregnate someone _without_ Veela blood?" The nurse looked at him as if he were a student who had particularly failed an exam of some kind, rolling her eyes slightly as he shook his head. "You have just enough Veela blood in you so that you have approximately one chance in two thousand to impregnate a human who doesn't have it. The odds can be raised if certain foods, spells, or potions are used beforehand. But for now, you are not in any danger of becoming a teenage father." 

Hermione listened quietly; she wasn't all that surprised to find out that the Malfoy family had nonhuman blood in it. They did look somewhat veela-ish, after all. Not to mention that despite having something of a resemblance to his ferret Animagus form, Draco _was_ one of the most popular boys in school. Veela attraction. _I hope when he **does** want to have kids, he can do it. With whoever he wants to have them with._

"Thank you." Draco's thanks almost seemed forced and distant. Something told Hermione that he hadn't really known about the problems he could have siring another generation of Malfoys, and she rather liked the thought of having been there when he did. 

"I won't mention this to anyone." Pomfrey continued, looking at Hermione. "Your other injuries need to be re-examined at any rate. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy, for bringing her for her check-up. Now you're free to return to your homework." 

"See you in class." Hermione told him as he started away. She would have said a lot more, but she had no time as the nurse started to run a battery of magical tests on her. 

"You're doing very well," Pomfrey told her once it was all over. "Clean bill of health." 

"Thanks." Hermione could honestly say she hadn't felt better in her life, except for the definite need for some butterbeer to take the taste of the various potions Pomfrey had made her drink out of her mouth. "Can I go now?" 

"Of course." Pomfrey showed her out and Hermione headed back to Gryffindor Tower. 

_Thank goodness that's over with. Finally._

**To Be Continued**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Note from Emerald:** Yes, I wrote one! hehehe! Ramas belongs to Ramas and cannot be used w/out Ramas's express written permission! *If you ask him and give him tum tum rubz, he just might let ya! ;-)* _

**Author's Note from Cynthia:** We're having a contest! Check out our livejournal for details: user name: cynthia_emerald, or look at our profile here at FF.net 

**Chapter Eleven  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione fidgeted slightly, twitching at her robe as she stared down the tracks. She'd never known the Hogwarts Express to be late, and every time she checked the time it wasn't yet, but it just _felt_ as if it were late. She could see Professor McGonnagal watching her with a slight amused curve to her lips, while Draco was leaning against the wall of the station house, looking patient, calm, bored, and most of all, in need of a good slap across the face to knock all of that out of him while she was fretting. 

"It'll get here when it gets here." Draco told her. Hermione grinned a bit sheepishly. 

"I just miss my cousin. I haven't seen her since last summer." She stared down the tracks again, and started to grin. "There it is!" 

Draco looked at the approaching train as it came to a stop. He could only vaguely understand Hermione's excitement, since he hadn't ever really been close enough to any of his family to care if they showed up or not. "Which one of them is she going to be?" 

"You won't have any trouble spotting her, we look exactly..." Hermione trailed off as a group of teenage witches and wizards stepped off of the train. One of them in the front had long, richly colored violet hair hanging down, but other than that, she looked almost exactly like Hermione herself did. The Hogwarts Head Girl stared. "alike..." 

"I don't really think you can say that anymore." Draco murmured dryly. 

Hermione stared at her cousin, shock written all over her face. "Sam?" The other nodded, grinning. "What did you _do_ to your hair?" 

"Do you like it?" Sam shrugged lightly, touching the unusual coiffure casually. She didn't really sound anything like Hermione, so there was even less chance of the two of them being mistaken for each other. Hermione most definitely was English, while Sam could never be anything but American. 

"It's...different." Hermione decided, then remembered in a flash the real duties they had here. "Samantha, this is Professor Minerva McGonnagal, Deputy Headmistress and Transfigurations Professor, and Draco Malfoy, Hogwarts Head Boy." 

Draco nodded slightly, while the Professor worked on getting all the other new arrivals organized. Sam eyed the blond. "Heard a lot about you from my cousin." 

"All bad, of course." Draco grinned, looking quite as if he wouldn't mind some of the bad things that Hermione had to say. Sam shook her head. 

"Not recently." 

Draco raised one eyebrow slightly, then glanced over at Hermione, who just shrugged. "What? You expect me to trash my boyfriend?" 

Everyone looked over as Professor McGonnagal cleared her throat to get their attention. "Welcome to Hogwarts. You are the first group of exchange students we have ever had, and I hope you enjoy your stay here. Follow me." She headed over to where the line of waiting carriages stood ready to carry them to Hogwarts. Hermione, Draco, Sam, and the Deputy Headmistress got into the first one, and once they were all full, the trip up to the castle began. 

Draco's arm slipped around Hermione as they rode, and she smiled lightly at him. Sam chuckled from across the carriage, and Hermione looked at her quickly. "What?" The English girl's eyes narrowed quickly. "I have _never_ trusted that grin. What's up?" 

"Nothing!" Sam tried to look innocent, and failed rather miserably. Hermione eyed her again, knowing that something was going on behind her cousin's eyes. 

Before she could figure out what it was, however, a small black nose came out of Sam's robe pocket. The nose was followed by a sleek brown furred body, and an attractive ferret crawled onto its' mistress' lap, peering unerringly at Draco. The Slytherin Animagus reached over and petted the creature lightly, a soft smile on his lips. 

The ferret almost seemed to be preening under Draco's touch, then leaped over to his lap easily, curling up there. "I think he likes you." Sam said with a chuckle. "He's usually not that friendly. 

"I'm not surprised." Draco looked just a trifle smug. "You might say I'm kind of a distant cousin to him." Sam looked curious and Draco's trademark smirk appeared. "I'm an Animagus." 

Sam's eyes widened in surprise, then she grinned. Hermione always did know how to pick them. "How did you two start dating, anyway?" From what she'd heard, they hadn't really been the best of friends from the time they first met. She was almost certain she saw Draco's pale eyes going over to Professor McGonnagal, then back to Hermione, somewhat furtively. 

Her cousin just shrugged. "He asked me out, and I said yes." She paused for a moment. "Actually, we talked a little." 

"Then I asked her out." Draco put in. Hermione nodded. 

"After he kissed me." 

Sam grinned widely. "Do I want to know how much more you've done?" She wondered. Hermione blushed deeply, ducking her head slightly. Sam could hardly believe what she seeing. _My cousin..._ She glanced over at the professor, whose lips were set into a thin, faintly amused line. _I don't think she believes it was quite like that._

Hermione glanced down at the ferret, who had drifted off into a snooze in Draco's lap. "He's nice." 

"For now." Sam warned her. "He's usually a hyper little guy." 

Draco chuckled. "Most ferrets are." He'd done a lot of research into them, learning their ways and habits, as a prelude to his Animagus lessons, once he'd figured out he was most likely to become. 

"When did you get him? I thought you had a cat last summer." Hermione wondered. "He was kind of old, though." 

"I know. It caught up with him." Sam shook her head, her eyes going a bit teary for a moment, then she quickly wiped them. "Mom was going to get me a new one, but this guy and his littermates were on sale, and they didn't have any new kittens that day, so she got him. It took a _lot_ of convincing to be able to bring him to school with me, but I worked it out." 

"What's his name?" 

"Ramas." Sam reached across to run a finger down her pet's spine gently. "He's smart as a whip, too. Has a theft problem sometimes, though. Keep any small shiny objects out of sight, or they just might go missing." 

Ramas slept all the way to Hogwarts, putting up no protest as he was returned to his mistress' pocket as they started up the final curve of the road there. "Sam," Hermione nudged her cousin's leg gently. "Look out the window. That's Hogwarts." 

Sam peeked out of the window and stared, her jaw dropping at her first sight of the castle. "Salem Institute is _nothing_ like this!" 

"Nothing in the wizarding world is like Hogwarts." Professor McGonnagal told her. The carriage came to a halt, and the four of them started to get out, joined shortly by the other new ones. Draco and Hermione headed inside as Professor McGonnagal motioned them in, joining their respective houses. She waved her greetings to Ron, Harry, and Ginny, then grinned as the doors swung open and the group came in. Ron peered over at the new ones, just as curious over them as he was over all the first years, then stared. Hermione looked at what he was looking at, then grinned and leaned over to him. 

"That's my cousin, Sam." She whispered softly. _That's who you saw._ She wanted to tell him that out loud, but now wasn't the right time. Ron just kept on staring, and Hermione shook her head, shooting a quick look across the room to Draco, who smiled a bit back at her. 

Hermione grinned widely as the Hat screamed out "_Gryffindor_" and Sam bounced over to join them. "Looks like you're stuck with me, Mi!" The violet-haired girl grinned. 

"I think I can manage." Hermione murmured a little dryly. This was going to be pretty interesting. 

"Mi?" Ron wondered, looking over the food at them. Hermione grinned a little, trying not to notice the nickname. Sam was the only one who dared call her that, anyway. 

"Harry, Ron, this is my cousin, Samantha Jameson." She motioned from one boy to the other. "Sam, this is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, my two best friends." 

Sam waved at them both. "Hi! So you're the famous Harry Potter." 

"That's what they tell me," Harry grinned just a little. "I keep trying to tell them that I'm Larry Potter, his Muggle cousin, but no one believes me." 

The newcomer laughed a little, then looked at Ron. "You must be Ron Weasley. Gryffindor Quidditch Keeper, right?" The redhead nodded, the tips of his ears turning red, and Sam's grin widened. "I'm very pleased to meet you. Any chance you're related to Fred and George Weasley? The prank guys?" 

Ron nodded, looking ever so slightly nervous. "They're my brothers." 

"I kind of feel sorry for you." Sam told him, ignoring Ginny's whispered 'don't' from the other side of the table to keep talking. "One of their prank wands nearly burnt one of the dorms down." 

Hermione remembered when Sam had written her about that. "I moved the water from the lake to the dorm. Flooded the entire basement where the teachers lived." She snickered a little. "Got out of school for two weeks while the teachers _tried_ to dry out the place. Even magic couldn't dry it all that fast." 

"Sounds like fun." Harry commented. He was fairly certain if that had happened at Hogwarts, they would've been dry in nothing flat. Dumbledore _was_ the greatest wizard ever, after all. 

"Other than that, your brothers' business is a big hit at our school. Even with the teachers!" 

Ginny grinned; she wasn't all that surprised by this. "Great! They'll want to know about this." 

"I'd like to meet them," Sam blushed a bit at the thought of meeting the twins. "Don't they have a shop in Diagon Alley?" 

"Right. They've had it set up for the last two years. I hear rumors they're going to buy out Zonko's pretty soon, if they haven't done it already." 

"Cool." Sam looked over at Ron. "So, you're a Keeper, huh?" 

Ron nodded a bit eagerly. "I sure hope so...uh, I mean, yeah!" _Idiot. She was talking about Quidditch!_ "Do you play?" 

"I'm more into precision flying." Sam told him. Ron looked surprised; he'd never really met anyone who liked to fly but _didn't_ like Quidditch. Were there more of these strange creatures around? 

Hermione chuckled. "She taught me how to fly upside down." Part of her enjoyment in flying had come from learning how to do it all over again with Sam as a tutor. 

"It's a head rush if you're not used to it." Sam grinned, eating some. The group lapsed into silence, stuffing themselves quickly. Hermione picked up a fresh apple, then over it spied a familiar sight: Dobby peering from around a corner at the Slytherin table and Draco. He vanished before she could do anything more than recognize him, however. 

"Hermione..." The Head Girl looked to see her cousin had been looking in the same direction she was. "Was that house elf wearing a top hat? And socks?" 

"That's Dobby." Hermione told her. "He used to belong to the Malfoys, but he was set free and now he works here." 

Sam looked curious. "Malfoys? Your boyfriend's family?" Hermione nodded and Sam looked back towards the Slytherin table. "Do they know that he works here?" 

Hermione bit into the apple thoughtfully. "I never asked, but I think so." 

"Unless he's hiding from Malfoy," Ron suggested. "Remember he used to get daily death threats from them." 

"True." Hermione nodded, remembering the things Harry had told her about what Dobby had told him. _I wish S.P.E.W. had done better._

"Mom would never let dad have a house elf," Sam thought out loud. "My best friend had some, and we used to go down and bug them a lot." She grinned a little; the worst they'd ever done was just get extra snacks in the middle of the night. "They were cool." 

"I like Dobby." Ron put in. "He's weird, but I like him." 

Harry nodded, remembering how Dobby had helped him in the Triwizard Tournament. "Maybe we'll introduce you." 

"Just pray that he doesn't try to save your life." Ginny suggested. Ron nodded quickly in agreement as Sam looked curiously confused. 

"When he was trying to save Harry's life he got him locked up, then we crashed a flying car into the Whomping Willow because he tried to stop us from coming back to Hogwarts, and then broke Harry's arm." The redhead recounted. 

Harry shuddered, rubbing that arm as it tingled. "Don't remind me, Ron. Our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher tried to fix it, and removed all the bones." 

"Lousy git," Ron muttered under his breath, then tried to draw attention away from Lockhart. "Um, why is your hair purple, Sam?" 

The newcomer shrugged. "Had to do something that made it easier for people to tell the difference between Mi and myself. We look alike otherwise, kinda like Fred and George." 

Ron blinked, then groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I can't get away from twins!" 

Harry patted his friend's back soothingly, then everyone looked up at the Head Table as Dumbledore stood up, ready to make his speech. It was fairly similar to the usual one given at every Welcoming Feast, and those who had heard it before tuned out until it was over with and they were all dismissed. It was starting to get late, and everyone wanted to get some rest. 

Hermione led the newest students for Gryffindor back to the common room, then turned to face them all. "All new students, welcome. This is the Gryffindor common room. Like the rest of the students here, please note that it is against the rules to go into another house's tower or dungeon." Those who knew her well might've noticed her blushing at that. "Your luggage has been moved to your rooms. Please enjoy your stay at Hogwarts." She paused for a moment. "One last thing, please beware our school's poltergeist, Peeves. He likes to play jokes on people, and spread rumors. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask any of the prefects, Head Boy, or myself. Until then, I suggest that everyone get some rest." 

As the new students scattered, Hermione slid into a chair by the fire and stared at it quietly. _Everything seems to be piling up at once. I know it always does, but it just seems...worse this year for some reason._

"Hermione?" She looked over to see Harry looking at her worriedly. "Are you all right?" 

"Yeah. I'm just feeling a little unnerved. The trial, waiting to see if Draco's heard from his mum about that broom. N.E.W.T.'s. Final planning of the family weekend." Something else crossed her mind just then. "Is it just me, or has Snape being almost...nicer to Gryffindor for awhile?" 

Something flickered behind Harry's eyes. Hermione wondered what he knew that she didn't about their Potions Professor, but she couldn't think of any way to ask without seeing fairly rude. "Maybe it's just because it's almost the end of the year and he'll finally be rid of 'The Dream Team'." Harry suggested at last. 

"Maybe." Hermione yawned slightly; it had been one of the more trying days of the year. "I'm going to head up. Good night." 

"Good night." Harry headed up to his own dormitory as Hermione climbed over to hers. 

_Time to get some studying done._ She wasn't going to let her lessons slide now that her cousin was here. She turned page and after page, committing it all to memory, until darkness stole over her, and she was face down on her books, sound asleep. 

**To Be Continued**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione's eyes fluttered softly, hearing something that was quite a bit like wings, and lifted her head. A letter was beside her that hadn't been there before, bearing the Malfoy seal and marked as being from Narcissa. She quickly broke the seal and read, blinking. 

_Hermione, _

Keep the broom, please. If you don't want to think about it as a thank you gift, then you can consider it a belated birthday gift. The broom is all yours. Signed, Narcissa Malfoy. 

"Good morning!" Hermione looked up to see Sam looking in the door at her, Ramas perched on her shoulder. A check out the window confirmed; it was indeed morning. 

"Morning. Unpacked yet?" Hermione pulled a piece of parchment over and started to write a thank you letter back. _Looks like I have a new broom._

"Yeah. It didn't take all that long. I think Ramas likes it here. Just hope he doesn't bother the cats." 

Hermione looked over curiously. "Don't you mean, you hope the cats don't bother him?" 

Sam shook her head and grinned. "Trust me, Mi. Trust me." 

"I do." Hermione turned her attention back to the letter. "Let me finish this, change, and we'll head down to breakfast." 

Once the letter was finished and sealed, Hermione headed over to her closet, hunting around for something to wear under her robes. Sam peered over her shoulder. "How about that shirt I sent you?" 

"Um..." Hermione glanced at her, then turned back to the closet, flinching every so slightly at the curious expression in Sam's eyes. "I don't have it anymore." 

Sam blinked in confusion. "Why not?" 

"Mom didn't tell you?" Her cousin shook her head, and Hermione sighed. This wasn't what she'd wanted to start the day thinking about. 

"Not that long ago, Draco and I were kidnapped by some very stupid wizards. I'm still not sure exactly why. But they tortured us, and one of the casualties...if that's the right word to use...was that shirt." She could see the shock and fear in Sam's eyes. "I'm all right now. So is Draco." Hermione tried to clear the memories from where they'd been crowding up, and grabbed her Holyhead Harpies shirt. "There are events planned for this afternoon. We have to be ready for them." 

"I know." Sam helped her get the shirt adjusted, making sure Ramas behaved himself instead of jumping into Hermione's hair like he wanted to. "I'm looking forward to it." 

Hermione grinned over at her, then winced. "I shouldn't sleep at my desk anymore." She rolled her shoulders some, trying to work out the aching muscles as best she could. 

"Maybe you can get your boyfriend to give you a massage?" 

"I doubt it," Hermione sighed wistfully. "That would lead to other things, and I've already lost fifty points. We're now tied with Slytherin, and he's being _smug_ about it!" She really cared about Draco, but there were just days when she wanted to smack him hard. "Come on, I'll show you where the Owlery is." 

She grabbed up the letter to Mrs. Malfoy and headed up through the castle, Sam on her heels. As they entered the quiet room, full of soft hoots and rustling feathers, the first thing Hermione saw was Draco, staring out the window, a distant look in his gray eyes. 

"So what's his problem?" Sam wondered, looking at him. Hermione shrugged. 

"No clue. Well, this is the Owlery. I need to get my letter sent. See you at breakfast?" Her cousin nodded, and just as she was about to go out the door, Hermione remembered just how tricky Hogwarts could be. "If you get lost, ask a painting or a ghost. Just _not_ Peeves!" 

Sam nodded, the door closing behind her as she slipped off, and Hermione went back to select an owl. Once the letter was winging it's way towards Malfoy Manor, she looked over to the closet Malfoy. "Morning." The only response Draco sent was a grunt, and she frowned. "What's wrong? Are you all right?" 

The light-haired boy glanced briefly at her. "Oh. Yes, of course." There was something wrong. She could tell; he seldom treated her this distantly anymore. 

"Oh. All right. I'll see you at breakfast, then." She headed out past him, hoping he'd say something with her own lukewarm response. Instead, he just seemed to be interested in his visit with his eagle-owl. 

Once she was seated at the Gryffindor Table, she picked at her food a little, her thoughts still more with Draco than anything else. _What's his problem? I don't **think** we've had a fight or anything._

"Hey, Herm! Have you seen the _Daily Prophet_?" 

She turned to look down in Ron's direction. "Herm?" She had never liked being called anything but Hermione. The only two people she'd ever tolerated anything shorter from were her cousin and Draco. Cousins were supposed to call you silly versions of your name, and Draco...well, anything was an improvement from 'Mudblood'. 

"Herm." Ron told her calmly. Her eyes darkened angrily; Ron should know after all this time how she felt about someone shortening her name! 

Sam grinned from across the table, looking up from feeding Ramas his breakfast. "Uh-oh...she's gonna blow!" She'd seen this before. It wasn't pretty. 

"Sorry?" Ron offered quickly, and Hermione's anger only deepened. 

"If you don't mean it, don't say it." She slammed her fork down almost hard enough to send it through the table, and the redhead winced visibly. 

"Sorry about that." This time she could tell he meant it. Or at least could fake it convincingly. It was good enough. 

"You know how I feel about being called 'Herm'!" She shook her head, then looked up. "What did you want to show me, _Ronald_?" _He hates that like I hate Herm. See how he likes it._

Ron grumbled somewhat, then pushed the paper over to her. She read it through quickly, then without another word snatched it up and ran as swiftly as she could to the Owlery. Draco was just starting to leave it as she got there and shoved the paper in his face. 

"He escaped." 

Draco nodded absently. "I know." 

"You _knew_?" Hermione glared at her boyfriend. "Why didn't you tell me?" 

He shrugged just as absently as he had nodded before. "Why should I have?" 

She wanted to smack that complacent look off his face. Maybe even smack his whole face off. "It deals with _me_, too, Draco. Remember?" 

"After the way you were after we got out of there?" Draco reminded her. "I don't think so. You've done enough." 

That was let slide. He'd find out the hard way she was just as good as he was for some things: or better. "You didn't think I'd find out?" She rattled the paper a little, reminding him that the _Daily Prophet_ wasn't confined to just his perusal. 

"I was hoping you wouldn't." 

She looked away briefly. "I wish you had told me. So I could be prepared." 

"You think _I_ was?" Draco snorted. Any appetite he'd had, had vanished as soon as he saw that idiot's grinning face looking back at him from the paper. 

Hermione shook her head. "I mean if he comes here. He's going to try and get rid of us both, you know that. He'll want to finish what he started." 

"How can he?" Draco pointed out. "As you've told a lot of people quite a few times, you can't Apparate or Disapparate onto Hogwarts grounds, and I doubt he'll be able to fly in here on a broom without being spotted by _someone_. Don't worry about it." 

_I guess he's right. If only a little. But they got in here the first time._ That was something else he was going to have to learn the hard way, though. She turned to go back down, then was stopped by his voice. "Care to go flying?" There was something like an apology in his tone, but she shook her head. 

"I can't. I have to show my cousin around. Sorry." She hoped he'd at least look a little upset, but he just shrugged and started towards the door himself. _I'm not going to let this go. He meant well...even if he is still an insufferable git._ "You know, why don't we show her around the grounds? On our brooms?" 

Draco looked back at her, a thin smile tugging at his lips. "All right." 

"I'll meet you outside," Hermione headed quickly out of the Owlery and started a quick search for her cousin. Thankfully it didn't take very long to find her; the American was showing off her ferret to a couple of Gryffindor first and second years, who were oohing and ahhing over the blatantly showing off Ramas. 

"He does this all the time." Sam was saying as Hermione came within earshot. "You should probably keep your clothes under watch. He has a tendency to steal...things." 

"Like what?" one of the girls asked. Sam grinned at her teasingly. 

"Like things I doubt you'd want the boys to see." 

Hermione coughed a little; that was not what she'd been expecting, or really wanting, to hear. Sam waved at her briefly and was about to go back to talking about her ferret before Hermione interrupted. "Would you like to go flying with me and Draco? We can show you around the grounds." 

"Ron already asked me," Sam shook her head. "I'll catch up with you later, though." 

Hermione nodded; somehow, she wasn't surprised at all. _I wonder what Sam really thinks of him._ She glanced downward briefly at the paper still in one hand, her grip tightening on it at the same time. _I wish she'd come. With that idiot out there, I don't think it's a good idea for Draco and I to be alone._

"What's that?" Sam wondered, her eyes fastened on the paper. Hermione tucked it under her arm quickly. 

"Just the newspaper. You'd better go, Ron's waiting for you." Hermione motioned her along; she'd spied the redhead hovering on the other side of the hallway. Sam made her farewells to the younger students as she made her way over to Ron, neither of them appearing to notice Hermione any longer. 

The Head Girl grinned slightly over that, then headed to get her broom. Anyone who knew her very well would have noticed a slight reluctant drag to her steps, but she didn't stop until she was back outside with Draco, the cloak he'd given her for Christmas wrapped around her. He smiled to see it, then asked, "Where's your cousin?" 

"Ron asked her to go flying." Hermione's eyes flicked rapidly from place to place, doing what she could to check for anyone hiding in the area. Everything _seemed_ safe, for the moment at least. 

Draco didn't miss her nervous looks, but he didn't say anything to her about it, simply mounted his broom. "Let's fly!" 

As the two of them took off into the air, Hermione let her worries stay behind on the ground. The wind coursed all around her, running invisible fingers through her hair, tugging at her cloak and robes, reddening her cheeks ever so slightly. She raced swiftly with Draco, dodging here and there as carelessly as she ever had since that first flight with him. 

Draco could tell there was something wrong, though. As much fun as she _seemed_ to be having, there was a distance to her eyes he could see whenever they got close. He flew up closer and leaned over. "What's wrong?" 

"Part of me wants to be closer to the ground if you must know." She snapped slightly, then shook her head quickly. "Sorry. Seeing that report brought up a lot of bad memories." 

He frowned. "Is he the one that did those things?" Hermione nodded slightly, and he frowned even more. Of all of them, this was the one he hated the most, just for what he'd done. He was the one in charge of that whole disaster, and Draco had never let anyone get away with anything against him if he could. He refused to think about how often Potter had gotten away with doing things to him. 

"Ready for some more flying?" Hermione didn't appear to want to think about this anymore and started to take her broom higher, not waiting for him to respond. The two of them soared around each other and the treetops for over an hour, until she pulled to a sudden halt and hovered. "Draco! We have to get back and get ready!" 

"What?" What was she talking about? They had been enjoying themselves so much... 

"The lunch! And the events after it. We have to go get ready." 

Oh, _that_. "You're right." He wasn't all that thrilled, but it was something that needed to be done. Both of them aimed their broom for the ground, Hermione moving faster than he was. Draco watched her spiralling downward as he followed, then stopped, something in the Quidditch stands catching his eye. _If it's Creevy again..._

A blast of blue spell-light flared out of the stands and knocked her down just as she was putting foot to ground again. Draco could just barely see the wizard under there starting to turn it on him, and reacted. "_Petrificus Totalus!_" The Slytherin grinned smugly as the enemy froze in place. _Always have been good with that one._

He hurried over to Hermione, pushing her down lightly as she tried to get up, her legs visibly quivering. "You're not going anywhere, Hermione, not just yet." 

"I'm fine!" she insisted. "I was just a little dizzy, that's all." He looked down on her cooly, and she sighed, sagging backwards. "Fine." 

_Stupid Gryffindor._ He looked up at the sound of brooms swishing overhead and saw the Weasel and Hermione's cousin there. "Someone get the Headmaster! Now!" 

"I'm on it!" Weasel showed the most intelligence he had in his life and obeyed Draco's order, heading back to the school. 

Ron flew up to the front steps, then jumped off his broom and ran inside, trying to remember just which way one had to go in order to get to Dumbledore's office. 

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Weasley?" He whirled around to see the Headmaster standing right behind him, a calm look in his blue eyes. 

_How does he **do** that?_ Ron shook his head, reminding himself of what was going on. "It's Hermione. I think that the guy who hurt her last time is on the grounds again. She and Malfoy were attacked on the Quidditch pitch." 

Ron had seen Dumbledore moving swiftly a few times in his life, but now he almost saw the old wizard flying without a broom. He hurried after him, and the two of them were soon there. Malfoy looked up as they arrived. "He's frozen back over that way." The silver-haired Slytherin motioned briefly towards the stands. 

Dumbledore nodded briefly, then turned to where Filch and Hagrid were both moving swiftly over to them. "You two guard him." He motioned them to the stands, and the half-giant and the Squib headed there. 

"Can't you tell him that I'm fine?" Hermione groaned at Draco. "The dizziness is gone, and I feel just wonderful." Draco didn't seem to believe her, even though he started to help her to her feet. Hermione groaned as she leaned on him. "Okay...ground is spinning...why?" She stared down at where Ramas was, the little creature having jumped off of Sam's shoulder and stared up at her with beady black eyes. "Why is grou..." 

Before she could finish the word, she collapsed right back into Draco's arms. He quickly picked her up and followed Dumbledore into a place that was quite familiar to them all: the Hospital Wing. He didn't really care about what the rest of the little contingent said or did. What mattered was getting her to safety. Once they were in the white-draped room, Draco put her onto the same bed she'd been using on every other visit here and pulled up a stool, patiently waiting. 

It didn't take very long for her to regain consciousness again. She, Ron, and Harry had of necessity developed some fairly rapid recuperative abilities. It came in pretty handy when one was the focus of Death Eater attacks on a semi-regular basis. 

"Hi..." She mumbled as her eyes opened lightly, and Draco smiled a touch, glad to see she was all right. 

The Headmaster cleared his throat, waiting for her to be somewhat more coherent. "Miss Granger, I suggest you stay in that bed for the next twenty-four hours. I believe the spell he cast wears off in that amount of time." Hermione nodded obediently, and the old wizard looked down at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, please ensure that she does not sit up. Madam Pomfrey will be out until after dinner, but until then, rest will do her the most good." 

Draco nodded slightly, adjusting his seat on the stool as Dumbledore headed out. A quiet sigh drew his full attention back to Hermione. "I hope he's right about what that jerk did to me." She stared down at her fingertips for a few moments, quiet and thoughtful. "Draco...you're sure that we're safe?" It felt rather odd to ask this of him, of all people, but she did it anyway. 

"Yes." There was no way they could be otherwise. He'd make certain of it, no matter what kind of Unforgiveables he had to use. 

"I hope you're right." Hermione toyed with her fingers, dancing them across her blanket. "Who knows what kind of spells he knows." 

Draco's shoulders rippled in an elegant shrug. "I doubt Dumbledore's going to let him keep any secrets." The Muggle-lover could get quite fierce when one of his precious Gryffindors was in danger. 

"He's not the kind to torture it out of someone." Hermione pointed out. Draco knew an answer already, though. 

"He won't have to. A little Veritaserum will have him babbling in no time." He tugged the blanket a little closer to her. "You get some rest. Don't worry about whatever it was he did. You'll be up and about in no time, screaming about how you missed so much class, you're only six weeks ahead of everyone else instead of eight." 

Hermione chuckled a little, then closed her eyes. It felt good to rest with him beside her. She could really get used to it. 

**To Be Continued**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

The stranger's eyes darted about nervously as he was released from the spell. They settled finally on Dumbledore. "Let me go!" He ordered imperiously. The old wizard shook his head. 

"I'm afraid that I cannot. The guards are already on their way to take you to Azkaban." Dumbledore watched as the other wizard grew pale at that. "What did you do before you cast the spell on Miss Granger?" 

The prisoner smirked slowly, his color returning as he did. "I've set certain time release spells." He confessed, his features twisting into a dark smirk. "But you'll never find out which ones." 

"Oh, we can." The Headmaster didn't look at all bothered by that. "Veritaserum can work miracles." 

"Oh, no you can't." The captive's smug grin grew even more annoying. 

Albus raised one eyebrow. "May I ask why?" 

"Of course, old fool. Because I don't _know_ what they are anymore. I Memory Charmed myself before I went to take care of those two brats." 

Dumbledore turned as the door to his office opened, and Lucius Malfoy stood there. As his cold eyes took in who was seated there, the younger wizard glared. "What happened _this_ time?" 

"He has attacked Miss Granger again. She appears to be well, if somewhat dizzy. Your son is with her right now. This young man has informed us that he has cast some form of time release spell on her, and has removed the memory of just what it is meant to do from himself." The headmaster told Lucius. 

From his imprisoning chair, the wizard laughed, a touch of insanity in the sound. "Try as you might, you won't know what I'm going to do to that stupid Mudblood! You of all people should be praising me for this, Malfoy!" 

Lucius' glare was icewater in visual form. "Whatever you do to _her_, you've also attacked my son. I do not forgive that. You may be smug now, but I promise you that will end once the Dementors give you a farewell kiss." 

"Maybe." The other sneered. "And maybe not. You still can't stop what I've set in motion." 

The frost-haired wizard stepped closer, his wand appearing in one hand, gripped tightly. "There are ways to make you remember." 

"But could you make me remember in time?" The captive taunted. Albus cleared his throat politely. 

"First, perhaps we should find out _why_ he is doing this?" The ancient wizard suggested mildly. The prisoner just sneered at Dumbledore rudely. 

"I don't talk to Muggle-lovers." The growl was a pale imitation of all those Death Eaters who had ever tried to be brave against Dumbledore. Voldemort wouldn't have had scum like this in his organization, no matter how much they agreed with his principles, Dumbledore reflected. He was simply too sloppy. 

Lucius stepped closer. "Answer his question!" The prisoner eyed him a bit warily, then lifted his chin in defiance. 

"You should know, Malfoy. You're the one who did it." 

Pale eyes narrowed slightly. "I have never met you before in my life. What could I have done to you?" The other snorted, and Lucius stepped even closer, his wand pointing directly at the captive's chest. "Why are you trying to hurt my son?" 

A second rude snort was the first answer. "If you're too stupid to remember, I'm certainly not going to help you." 

Lucius's fingers tightened on his wand. "What is your name then?" Dumbledore could clearly see he was restraining himself from something as nasty as the Cruciatus, if not the actual Unforgiveable itself. 

"Alan Molanton." 

The elder Malfoy frowned as the name rung a bell. "Your father is Marcus Molanton?" Alan nodded. "He was a trusted servant before he became too ill to work." 

"And he was _fired_!" The younger man struggled in his restraints once more, but the magic-born bonds refused to give. Lucius eyed him with distaste. 

"Who told you that? Your father has been a loyal servant of my family since before I was born. I wouldn't have fired him. It was his health that stopped him from working. He and I agree that it would be for the best that he start his retirement. 

Alan snorted again, even more rudely this time. Lucius pinned his cane under the wizard's chin and glared down into his eyes. "Your father never did trust you, and I can see why." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You don't deserve his trust." Lucius' eyes blazed in frozen fury. "Perhaps you should allow your father to live his remaining years as he sees fit." 

Alan rolled his eyes, not buying a single word Lucius said. "Whatever." 

"I doubt that will matter soon." The elder Malfoy turned away to face Dumbledore. "I am going to see my son before I leave." 

Albus looked at the prisoner as the door closed behind Lucius. Fury burned inside of him such as he had not felt in years. "I have little love of the Dementors, but you have gone beyond the point of forgiveness. I do not doubt you will be sentenced to their kiss." 

"Stuck up idiots." Alan's only comment was just another insult. "All of you. I know what I did was right." 

The Headmaster shook his head sadly. Another one lost to stupidity and thoughtless revenge. It was a pity. 

* * *

"Draco." The single word drifted through the Hospital Wing like verbal ice. Draco looked over to see his father standing there, his cane in his hand, and his gaze even chillier than his eyes. 

"What is it, father?" Draco returned ice for ice. His father didn't scare him that much anymore. 

Lucius came closer to him, every word chipped from a glacier. "What is this I hear that this...young lady..." his eyes flicked momentarily to where Madam Pomfrey was adjusting a bed not that far away, "spent the night in your room?" 

"Yes." 

The hilt of his father's cane was shoved under his chin, tilting it up as Lucius leaned over, towering above his son. "If I _ever_ hear of you doing that again, you will royally regret it. Do I make myself clear?" Draco flinched back slightly, memories of some of his punishments flickering through his mind. "The only reason I have not put a halt to this farce of a relationship already is because your mother like this...mudblood." He pulled his cane away and stalked out the door, not looking back at all. 

Draco slumped down into his chair, shaking his head just a little. _Some days I think I can stand up to him no matter what. Then when I see him and he's like that..._ He knew that the Malfoys had only married purebloods for centuries, but he wasn't even thinking about marrying her. This was just something for school. She was obviously going to do something important; she had all those brains and all that favouritism from the teachers. He was just making connections for the future. It wasn't _his_ fault that one of the witches with the most opportunities was a mudblood. 

He glanced down to see Hermione looking back at him worriedly. _She must have seen that._ His guess was confirmed when she asked, "Why do you let him do that to you?" 

"He's my father." That was the only answer there could ever be. 

She shook her head, though. "That doesn't give him the right to do that." Draco just shrugged casually, then frowned as she started trying to get up. 

"Stay down!" 

A hot-eyed glare shot towards him. "I have to use the bathroom!" 

He stifled a chuckle and set his face into a firm look. "All right." He helped her over to the bathroom and waited for her to take care of what needed doing. Once she was out, he got her back into bed, tucking her in neatly. _Did she just say something?_ He bent a little closer, hoping she'd say it again. As the softly whispered words came, he jerked back. _She...said she loves me??_

* * *

Hermione kissed Draco softly and smiled at him. "Good luck." The pale-haired boy grinned back at her. 

"I don't need luck." He knew he was going to win. That was as certain as sunrise and moonset. What was luck? Something _Potter_ needed, not him. He was a Malfoy. 

Hermione's eyes held a trace of wistfulness. "I wish I didn't feel so torn between cheering for you or cheering for my House." 

"I'm going to win anyway," Draco grinned cockily at her. "So just go ahead and cheer for me." 

She laughed a little. "It's hard to choose between slugging you or hugging you right now." She leaned over and kissed him lightly, then stepped back. "I think I'll go the library instead of the game." 

Draco tilted his head. "Don't you want to see me fly?" She'd always come to every other game Slytherin had played against the rest of the school. He couldn't understand why she was backing out of the last game between Gryffindor and Slytherin now. 

"But I won't feel like I have to choose between you and my friends." Hermione told him. He just shrugged. 

"You can just watch you know. And cheer when I win." 

She hugged him again. "You and your ego." 

"I am what I am." 

The brown-haired Gryffindor whacked him on the arm. "You can be a pompous ass at times. And you can be so gentle others." She wrapped her arms around him softly, not wanting to leave his embrace even as people started heading to the Quidditch pitch. 

"I think it's time." Draco finally said. She shook her head briefly. 

"I don't care." In the last couple of weeks since she had emerged from the Hospital Wing, two very odd accidents had occurred. At least she _thought_ they were accidents; something just seemed a little off about them. One had resulted in her arm being sliced up, while the other had simply turned her robes a very shocking shade of green. "But I suppose there's nothing that can be done. I'm just glad I was able to get the green out of my robes." She took a deep breath and stepped away. "I'll see you." 

Draco headed for the rest of his team while Hermione headed over to the stands after all. _There's no way I'd be able to just sit in the library while this game is going on._ Regardless of who won, she had to be there. She sat beside Sam as Gryffindor scored a quick five goals, getting fifty points ahead before the small Snitch fluttered by, chased swiftly by Harry and Draco alike. 

Hermione bit her lip as both of them reached for it, going as swiftly as they could, hands battling for the winged ball. No one could've told what was the deciding factor, Draco's somewhat slightly longer reach or just dumb luck of the moment, but his fingers closed on the Snitch a bare second ahead of Harry's. 

The moment that he had it in his grip, an explosion rocked the stands bare inches from Draco's face. He plummeted towards the pitch, still holding onto his prize, while the viewers in the stands stood up as one to watch. 

He landed with a thunk on the pitch, his father and Hermione arriving there only seconds later. "Don't move," Hermione murmured, pushing him down gently, then she held a hand in front of his face. "How many fingers am I holding up?" 

Draco blinked, trying to focus. He couldn't be awake yet; he had to have been knocked out. He'd landed pretty hard, after all. He could _hear_ what was going on, but he couldn't see it. There was just...blackness. "W...what?" 

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Hermione repeated. She sounded distressed about something. Why wasn't her voice fading? He wasn't fully awake; he should be heading into unconsciousness. But he could hear her so clearly. 

No. This had to be wrong. This couldn't happen to him. He was a _Malfoy_, for Merlin's sake! "I can't tell...I...have my eyes closed...can't open them." That was what this had to be. 

"Draco, your eyes are open." That was his father, nothing else could match that irritated tone. He tried to think about something else, and realized there was some kind of weight in one of his hands. 

"What's...in my hand?" 

There was pressure on the hand he could feel the whatever in, then he heard Hermione. "You caught the Snitch." He grinned a little; he'd won the game! That was worth some blindness. Droplets of water hit his hand, and he heard a sniffle. 

_Hermione...is crying?_ This was a very weird day. 

"Madame Pomfrey is coming." She sniffled again. "Just relax." 

"At least I won." He tried to get up, and felt himself being pushed back down again. It wasn't by a cane, so it had to be Hermione. 

"Stay _still_!" She ordered him bluntly. "You're going to be all right." 

He heard a familiar rustle, and then the brisk voice of the mediwitch as she arrived. "We're going to need to get him to the Hospital Wing. Miss Granger, I _will_ need you to let go of his hand." 

Draco remained as still as he could as he was carried inside and up to the Hospital Wings. A cloth was laid over his eyes, presumably by Pomfrey, and she told him, "Your eyesight will return shortly. You'll be unbalanced for a while, though." 

"How long?" 

She must have been shaking her head or something like that. "I can't be sure right now. It's too hard to tell this soon." 

"Have there been any other incidents like this?" That was his father. Draco just shook his head; nothing had been happening to _him_ recently. "Anything to Miss Granger?" 

"Just a couple of things. Normal hexes, though." He suspected it was probably Blaise. The other Slytherin had a sense of humor to rival the Weasley twins at times. "Her arms got cut up some a while back, and then her robes were turned green." 

Silence stretched out, broken by Lucius. "Three down." 

"Three down?" Draco wanted to know what was going on here. This was _important_! 

The Headmaster spoke up from somewhere in the room. "Certain spells that the wizard who kidnapped you and Miss Granger were set into place by him. Three of them have went off already." 

Draco frowned in what he hoped was where Dumbledore was standing. "Why weren't we told?" This was the kind of thing they should've known about, but Dumbledore hadn't seen fit to let them know! So much for caring about his students. 

"We were in hopes that we could defuse them in time." The old wizard sounded almost regretful. Draco wasn't buying into it, though. He was a Slytherin, and that said everything that needed saying. 

He leaned back into his pillows and thought. "This was one of them. How many were there total?" 

"Five." 

The Slytherin nodded slightly at the Headmaster's number. "The ones that have hit Hermione have been minor. But..." He didn't have to finish it. The explosion hadn't been minor at all. _They're going to get worse._ He started to sit up, then quickly laid back down again, groaning. _Sitting up fast is **not** a good idea, it seems._

"Stay where you are." The Headmaster told him sharply. Draco didn't mind hearing that at the moment, not with the way his head was spinning so very merrily. 

"Is he all right?" Hermione's voice came from what was most likely the doorway. He was pretty certain he remembered it being in that direction from the bed, based on how far he'd been carried into here. 

"Ah, hello, Miss Granger." Dumbledore's voice had assumed it's normal cheery happiness. Draco could almost _hear_ how hollow it was now. Not that he hadn't suspected before. 

"Is Draco all right?" She actually sounded worried about him. He liked that. It was a bit annoying, but somewhat cute at the same time. _I wouldn't have thought that a few years ago._ Well, that was a few years ago. 

"How are you feeling?" Hermione's voice came from closer to him now, and he felt her familiar hand on his. He wanted to roll his eyes again, but Malfoys didn't repeat actions so frequently. 

"Hurt." That was a completely idiotic question. He _had_ just fallen off his broom, after something blew up in his face. He'd thought she was smarter than that. 

She patted his hand a little. "You'll be fine." She sounded disgustingly cheery, so very _Gryffindor-ish_ it was revolting. 

"What about you?" Had any of those things went off while he was in here? He didn't think so, something would have alerted him, a noise, if nothing else. 

Hermione obviously had no idea of what he was talking about. "Draco, what do you mean? I didn't just fall off of my broom!" 

"There are time released spells on us." Draco told her cooly. "That's what's been happening. There are two others that have yet to go off." 

"Oh." She sounded a little thoughtful, and he could already envision her wanting to get into the library and find out what she could about this. "No, no more have gone off near me." She was quiet for a few moments, then, "I'm going to head back to Gryffindor Tower. I'll see you soon." 

He heard the rustle of robes as she left, and leaned back into his pillows, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. He really needed some rest. 

* * *

Ron grinned as he finished telling one of the adventures that he, Hermione, and Harry had experienced during their previous year to Sam, enjoying the way she paid attention to his every word. Harry was just a few seats away working on his Defense Against The Dark Arts homework; not saying anything to take away from how Ron had polished the narrative up a little. 

He was about to get started on another story when the portrait hole opened up and something almost seemed to fly by them without even a broom. Harry stared as the door to Hermione's room slammed shut. "That was fast," the Boy Who Lived muttered. "Even for Hermione." 

"I'll go see what's up." Ron got up at once; he and Hermione were still best friends, no matter what. Sam, Harry, and Ginny followed without the slightest word. 

"Come in!" Hermione called from behind the closed door as Ron knocked. He swung the door open and came in, not that surprised to see her working on her homework before she looked up. "Hi, Ron...and Sam...and Harry...and Ginny..." She blinked a little in confusion. "Is the rest of the tower out there too?" 

Ginny made a show of looking behind her. "No. Just us." She closed the door quietly and sat down on Hermione's bed beside Harry. The Head Girl looked at them all questioningly. 

"So what do I owe this visit to?" 

Ron shrugged a little. "We saw you going by like you were on fire, and we're worried about you. You've been a little busy to talk to us, you know." 

"Sorry," she flushed, knowing that he was telling the truth. "I just wanted to finish this report, it's due tomorrow." 

She couldn't be certain if they believed it, since there'd never once been a time when she'd been that late working on something, but they weren't disagreeing, at least. Harry looked at her a little more closely. "How's Malfoy?" 

"Good." 

"Anything else?" He wondered. She shook her head quickly, staring down at the parchment intently. 

"Not really. He's got to stay in the hospital wing, though. His eyes aren't fully healed yet." Madame Pomfrey had mentioned something about eyes being very tricky to heal magically, which was what was taking so long. None of the others moved for so much as a microsecond, however, all four of them just sitting there and looking at her. "Something else I can help you with?" 

"Just checking to be sure you're all right." Harry told her. "You're looking pretty frazzled, you know." 

She just shook her head. "Why wouldn't I be all right? And I'm not frazzled, I just need to get a little more sleep, that's all. I've been studying hard." 

Harry moved a bit closer to her. "Well, your boyfriend _is_ in the hospital wing." 

"I'm fine." Hermione stared down at the report again, trying not to let them see the due date she'd written at the top of the page, where it clearly said it didn't have to be turned in for at least another week. 

"You expect us to believe that?" Sam asked, just looking at her cousin with an amused tilt to her lips. Hermione eyed them warningly. 

"Why not?" 

Sam snorted rudely. "Because we all know you. Some better than others, of course." She glanced over at Harry, Ginny, and Ron, reminding her cousin that there were things that the four of them had shared that went far beyond any blood bond the two of them did. 

Hermione sighed quietly as she put her quill down. "I don't know how I feel." She put her head into her hands, feeling her fingers shake against her cheeks as she did. "That git who nabbed us cast some time release spells on us. The cuts and the green robes weren't pranks. They were the first two spells. What happened to Draco today was the third of five." She trembled, feeling the urge to run to the library to research until she fell over on some way to stop all of this. _Wouldn't do any good. I researched them all last year for extra credit. There's nothing to do but let them go off._ She touched the parchment lightly. "I really do need to work on this." 

"All right." Ron nudged Harry and Ginny out the door ahead of him as Hermione kept on staring at the parchment. She slowly sank her head back into her hands again, trembling from her crown to her soles. 

"Want to talk about it?" Sam asked quietly, moving closer to her cousin. Hermione closed her eyes, hoping to find some kind of answers behind the closed lids. 

"It scares me that if one of those spells is meant for me, and Draco is there..." Hermione shuddered at the thought. "I don't want him hurt anymore." 

Sam looked at her curiously. "So what are you going to do?" 

"Stop seeing him for a while, I guess. Just to keep him safe." She glanced over at Sam, noting the disapproval in her cousin's eyes. "You would do the same with Ron, wouldn't you?" 

"I don't know." Sam shrugged. "I think I'd ask him what he wanted to do first. It's not like he's not involved. Maybe Draco thinks staying near you is worth what could happen. Why don't you ask him?" 

Hermione nodded; Sam occasionally had a way of pinning down what she was thinking in a slightly different way, just enough so she could get a handle on things. "Tomorrow. His father is with him right now." She grinned a bit. "I'm glad that you and Ron are getting on so well." 

Sam grinned right back at her. "So am I." There was a certain mischievous tilt to her lips that spoke entire volumes. 

Hermione shook her head, then headed over to the closet and pulled out her nightgown. Just as she did, a shaking voice came from the door. "H...Hermione?" She looked over to see Neville Longbottom standing there. "M...Mr. Malfoy wants to see you." There was a certain look in his eyes that said he was amazed in he had been in the same room with two Malfoys and had lived to talk about it. 

"Where is he?" 

"He said he was going to wait for you in front of the Great Hall. And to hurry." From the way he was acting, Malfoy Senior had probably said a great many other things than that. It was common knowledge that Malfoys and Longbottoms just did not get along. 

Hermione chuckled a little, then shooed Sam out of her room in Neville's wake and tossed the nightgown onto her bed before heading off to find her boyfriend's father. He stood just outside the doors of the Great Hall, hands folded over his cane, and a cool expression frozen to his features. "You wanted to see me?" 

"Yes." He didn't look all that thrilled to be talking to her, and given what she'd overheard in the infirmary, she wasn't that surprised. 

"How is Draco?" She wanted to know that more than anything else. 

Lucius frowned down at her. "Resting comfortably." Something in his eyes clearly said that he would gladly Crucio her before he'd answer her if he had the option. 

"That is good to hear. Is there something I could do for you?" Best to get this out of the way. 

He nodded ever so slightly. "My wife wishes to extend you an invitation to come to our home for a small celebration with our respective parents." She nodded briefly, and he held out an envelope. "Your invitation is in here. Keep it with you; it's what will get you past the wards at Malfoy Manor, and informs you of when the celebration is. If we should change the date for some reason, that will show up on the invitation itself." 

Hermione nodded as she took it, then looked at him. "I know you don't like me because of what my parents are, but I'm not a bad person, and I would never do anything to hurt your son, emotionally or physically." His icy look never so much as twitched. "I hope you understand how much your son means to me, and I couldn't stand it if anything happened to him." 

Lucius summed up his opinion of her in one word: "Mudblood." 

"Not entirely." She looked at him cooly. "My great-grandparents _weren't_ Muggles." He didn't appear to be all that impressed by it, however. He turned on his heel and walked away without another word to her. 

She shook her head briefly, then headed back up to Gryffindor Tower. Sam was waiting in the common room, and followed her all the way back to her room silently, Ginny joining them once more as they passed the door to the sixth years' rooms. "Well?" Her cousin finally asked when Hermione didn't appear to be saying anything. 

"I was invited to Malfoy Manor." Hermione looked down at the envelope and pulled out the invitation. "For a small function with the respected family to celebrate Draco's mother's birthday." 

"Are you going to go?" Ginny wondered. Hermione shook her head. 

"I don't know. Curiosity _is_ getting the better of me." 

Sam snickered softly. "When doesn't it?" 

Hermione chuckled, then picked up her nightgown, intending to _finally_ get into bed. She noticed Ginny practically staring at the outfit and stared. "What _is_ it with you people? Draco saw this and nearly fell off of his broom!" 

"Well, there's not that much there!" Ginny told her, and Hermione almost wondered if her redheaded friend was wanting a copy of this to use on Harry! 

"Is there a reason why there should be?" The Head Girl wondered. Sam snickered softly as she nodded, and her cousin snorted even more. "Give me one. And it had better be good." 

"So you're not showing everything." Sam told her. Hermione shook her head; this was too easy. 

"Well, normally no one sees this on me." She reminded her cousin. Both Sam and Ginny looked a little surprised. 

"_Normally_?" The youngest Weasley wondered. Hermione blushed lightly as she recalled that night. 

"Draco saw it on me once. Like I said, he just about fell off of his broom." 

Sam tilted her head and eyed the outfit, her gaze flicking between the two of them for a few moments. "I wonder if I'd look as good in that thing as Draco thinks you do." She grinned mischievously. "I wonder if Ron would have the same reaction." 

"I might let you borrow it one weekend." She glanced over at Ginny for a moment. "Has Ron told your parents about Sam yet?" 

"I don't think so." Ginny thought briefly, then shook her head. "At least he hasn't told me if he did." 

"Oh?" Sam raised one eyebrow. "Is he ashamed of my purple hair?" She ran one hand through her violet-tinged locks and grinned. Ginny just shrugged. 

"Probably. Mum hates Bill's long hair." That was one thing that hadn't changed, and probably never _would_ change, in the Weasley family. 

Sam flicked her hair a little. "Maybe I can tone it down a little. Exchange the purple for blonde?" 

"It would look nice if you went for red," Hermione suggested, eyeing the impressive locks with a critical eye. She wasn't a fashion expert, but some colors just went better with others. "A subtle kind of red." Her eyes narrowed briefly. "Now, get out! I want to go to bed!" 

**To Be Continued**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione entered the Hospital Wing quietly, nodding to Madam Pomfrey as she did so, and headed over to where Draco was asleep. She laid her hand on his gently, watching as he slowly started to wake up, his eyes not quite focusing on anything as they opened. 

"Seeing anything this morning?" She wondered quietly. He blinked a few times, but his focusing ability didn't really seem to change. 

"A little. Not much, though. It's not quite _as_ dark." 

She nodded briskly. "Good. How are you doing, other than that?" His answer was a light shrug and she frowned. "What's wrong?" 

It quickly became apparent Draco wasn't in that much of a mood to talk about himself. "So how have you been? Any problems?" 

"Nothing really to speak of. I just have to decided whether or not to accept your father's invitation to your mother's birthday party, and getting my report done for Professor Snape." She looked down at him, her fingers tracing his hand lightly. "Should I go?" 

It would be wrong to say that he looked at her, since he wasn't seeing anything, but his eyes were roughly tilted towards her. "I'd like it if you did." 

"To be honest, your father makes me _very_ nervous." Hermione told him, shivering at the memory of the look in those cool gray eyes. Draco just shrugged. 

"He makes everyone nervous." 

"Even your mother?" Hermione wondered. Draco nodded again and she shook her head . "I hate that word he uses to describe me." She refused to even utter it herself. "I hated it when you used it on me too." 

Draco tilted his head in such a way that she knew if he could see, she'd be getting that light gray Malfoy smirk and stare. "He taught it to me." 

"Can I unteach it from you?" She retorted. "Or did I that night we spent in your room?" 

His lips twitched ever so slightly. "It _was_ an unusual lesson." 

That was one way to put it. "It saved my sanity, though." Though dating a Slytherin and a Malfoy...she was beginning to wonder sometimes if it really _had_ saved her sanity. At the very least, Draco was going to drive her over the edge. She watched him for a few moments, then something occurred to her. "If you could call me anything now, what would it be?" 

"Hermione." 

She frowned; _I was thinking about some kind of nickname...I don't like most of them, but I do like when **he** calls me 'mione. I guess he doesn't remember._ "So, when are you going to get out of bed?" 

"I don't know." There was a clipped, rigid quality to his words, as if he didn't even want to be speaking them in the first place. 

"What exactly is wrong?" He just shrugged lightly at her question, and she fought back her temper as much as she could just then. He was _maddening_! 

"I might not ever be able to play Quidditch again." This time the words came with the hollowness of despair. 

Feeling absurdly like a Muggle psychologist, Hermione asked, "How do you feel about that?" _I need to get more sleep. That just sounded stupid._

"How do you _think_ I feel?" Draco gave the question just what it deserved, too. She reached over to take his hand quietly, wanting him to feel a little better. 

"Might isn't a definite. If you still want to be involved in Quidditch, you could become a coach or a trainer." She tried to look on the bright side of things. Draco was still having none of that, however. 

"It's not the same. I want to _play_, not just be involved." The fingers of his hand flexed as if he were reaching for the Snitch again, as if he could feel it quivering in his hand like a living thing. 

She had to be realistic, though. "No, but it's something. And I'm just thankful you're alive." She glanced over to where Madam Pomfrey was going into her office, then looked back at Draco. "I'll let you rest." 

As he closed his eyes and relaxed some, she headed into the mediwitch's office, asking the first thing that was on her mind. "What are the chances of Draco playing Quidditch again?" 

"A little less than half." The nurse didn't bat an eye at her question. She never had seemed surprised at anything the students did or said, no matter how outrageous it was. Some students had been sent in here with cauliflower and broccoli growing from various bodily orifices and she'd simply gotten out the proper antidote. 

Hermione nodded, her mind racing. "What can I do to get him back on that Quidditch field?" 

"It depends on how long it takes for his eyesight to return fully. That should be in a few days, at least. After that, it really depends on just how he's feeling. It's a little hard to tell what will happen right now." 

Hermione nodded once more, feeling as if her head might come off if she didn't stop that. "I'm going to help him. He wants to be back in the air, I'll make sure he is...if I have to launch him personally!" Pomfrey chuckled a little indulgently at her, then waved her out of the office. Hermione glanced at Draco, then headed back over there, knowing he wouldn't be asleep just yet. 

"What would you say if I told you that I could try to help you get back on the Quidditch pitch?" 

His glazed eyes turned in her direction. "I'd say, don't waste your time." His voice was cooler and more distant than it had been since the very first day they'd met. She stared at him, then turned away, hot with anger. 

"Sorry for wasting _your_ time then." Without looking back, and with many a grumble about how wizards were stubborn jackasses who couldn't see a good thing when it was right in front of them, she headed for her room. 

She stalked back to Gryffindor Tower, ignoring everyone who stared at her as if she were somehow on fire or something of that nature, then burned through her waiting assignments with a speed that would boggle most minds. Once she was done, she grabbed her broom and stalked off outside, taking off to whirl over the Quidditch pitch a few times. 

As she flew, she went right by Ron and Sam, both of whom stared at her in complete shock. "Was that Mi?" Her cousin wondered as Hermione flew over the Forbidden Forest. Ron nodded slowly 

"I think so." It had looked an awful lot like her if it wasn't. "Let's go talk to her." 

The two of them headed towards her, but before they could get close enough to say anything, she was already back on the ground and heading inside the castle as swiftly as she could walk in her robes. Ron stared at her receding back. "I guess she _doesn't_ want to talk." 

"I've never seen her like that. You don't think that..." Sam fidgeted; word of the time release spells had spread all over school by the same ubiquitous grapevine that appeared whenever the students wanted to know something that was none of their business. 

"I hope not." Ron frowned, watching where his friend had vanished. This was really not his school year. 

* * *

Hermione came into the Hospital Wing, brushing her hands off briefly as she did so. _I think I need to take better care of my broom. It's getting a bit dusty._ She looked up as Draco glared at her from his bed, a slightly familiar Slytherin boy sitting beside him with an amused quirk to his lips. "What did you think you were _doing_?" 

"Flying." Hermione blinked a little. "How did you know what I was doing?" 

"I told him." The Slytherin spoke up, motioning briefly to the window beside Draco's bed. "He could see some blurs that looked a little like you, or so he said anyway, and I checked to be sure he was right." 

Draco nodded, his clouded gray eyes still glaring at her. "Blaise let me know you were flying around like some kind of a maniac! You're going to get yourself killed. You don't know when any of those things could go off again! Do you _want_ to die? I can fix it a lot faster than those spells can if you do!" 

He kept on in that vein for quite a while, until he finally ran out of words and fell silent. Blaise stayed where he was, that same amused glint in his eyes. "Done?" Hermione asked coolly. He nodded slightly, and she pushed her hair quickly out of her face, letting him see as best he could how utterly _pissed_ she was. "I just came here to tell you one thing. When you get over your pity party: let me know." 

As she stalked out, Draco started out of bed, only to be pushed back into it by Blaise. "You're not ready to go anywhere, Malfoy." His friend warned him. "Not until you can actually see. Unless you _want_ to fall on that face of yours and make it look even _more_ like a ferret." 

"Funny." Draco growled. Blaise had teased him ceaselessly ever since they'd started their Animagus training together in their sixth year, especially when Draco had _really_ turned out to be a ferret, and Blaise was a sleek black panther, very much like his human form, which had grown out of his stringiness of two years earlier. 

"I thought so." Blaise grinned briefly, then jumped as a sudden crack echoed, and a house-elf was suddenly at the bottom of Draco's bed. "Geez, when did Pomfrey start letting vermin in here??" 

Draco frowned in the general direction of the crack. "That sounded like..." No. It couldn't be. 

"Master Draco!" The thing spoke in a squeaky voice. "Master Draco must not let Miss Granger play in Quidditch match!" 

Draco sat up straighter. "Dobby? That's _you_?" He shook his head; of course it was Dobby. Only one elf had that particular voice. "What do you mean? Is it one of those spells? Do you know what it's supposed to do?" 

"No, sir," Dobby sounded very regretful, as he usually did when he'd messed up Lucius' dinner and knew he was about to get hurt for it. "But Dobby knows the last two are meant for her! You must stop her from playing!" 

Draco surged up again as Dobby vanished, a fire behind his eyes Blaise hadn't seen since the accident. Pomfrey hustled in before he could make a move though. "Where do you think _you're_ going?" The nurse asked, shoving him back down carefully. 

"I have to get out of here!" Draco protested. She shook her head sharply. 

"You need more rest. You'll be out in time for classes tomorrow, now just _rest_." The mediwitch ordered, then shooed Blaise out of there. Draco closed his eyes and sighed. Being hurt _sucked_. 

* * *

Hermione slammed the door to her room shut, throwing herself on her bed, the tears slipping downward as she cuddled into Crookshanks. _He's not even **trying** to get better! He's not even **willing**! He's just going to lay there! The little **git**!_

She heard a tap on the door but didn't move, just clinging to her cat. A few moments later, she heard the door opening, and then Sam was holding her hand, the ferret Ramas jumping down to peer at her curiously. "Want to talk about it?" Her cousin asked quietly. The fidgeting feet she could just barely hear at the bottom of the stairs probably belonged to Ron. Her cousin and the redhead were just as inseparable as Ginny and Harry were, or her and...no, she wasn't going to think about him. Not like that, anyway. 

"He's hurting so much. And I can't do anything to help him. He won't _let_ me help him! And I feel so helpless!" Hermione clung to her cousin as the words came out. 

Sam considered before she said anything. "It's pretty obvious that he's a proud guy." 

"Stubborn is more like it." Hermione corrected quickly. "It's one of the things I like about him, but not now. Not when he's hurting, and there's something I can do to help, but he just won't let me!" 

Her cousin just held her, letting her cry on her, while the cat and the ferret nuzzled into her in their own way. Hermione was so wrapped up in her tears she didn't even hear the feet that actually _were_ Ron heading away from the foot of the stairs and out the common room exit. 

* * *

Draco stared at the blankness blankly. _I think I can see a little. Just a little._ That gave him a little hope. He could hear footsteps suddenly stalking towards him and frowned. _It's past visiting time. Pomfrey wouldn't let just anyone in here. Unless she doesn't know they're coming._ Was some Gryffindor coming to laugh at him? 

"You better be lucky that you're laying there." It was worse than a Gryffindor. It was Weasley. "What did you do to Hermione?" 

"Nothing." Draco shivered ever so lightly. Had one of those time-release spells gone off already? 

"She's up in her room crying her head off! I seriously doubt it was nothing!" The Weasel ranted at him. Draco snorted rudely. 

"She was being crazy." He supposed he should've expected this sooner or later. Oh, well, better to get it done now. Gryffinidiots wouldn't hit a blind guy. 

Ron stalked closer to him. "She said something about being able to help you and you not even accepting. Whatever she wants, you are going to do it. I meant what I said earlier, Malfoy. Hurt Hermione and I'll break your neck." He didn't even wait for an answer before he turned and headed out, his haughty exit ruined by stumbling over his clumsy feet. Draco sniggered softly to himself as the redhead made his way out. 

_I really have to talk to 'mione about her choice of friends. Even a Mudblood can do better than that._

* * *

Hermione picked at her food a little the next morning, staring down at it. She could almost pick out Draco's exact footsteps as he headed over to her from the Slytherin table, but she didn't look up until he actually called her name. "What is it?" 

"I want to talk to you." He told her. As far as she could tell he was able to see things perfectly right now. That would make things easier, she hoped. At the least it proved he _could_ play Quidditch again, so all of his whining had been for nothing. 

"You made yourself perfectly clear yesterday," she told him bluntly. "And I am in no mood to talk to you right now." 

Draco stepped closer to her. "I want you to be careful. Dobby told me that the last two spells are meant for you and you specifically." 

She shrugged. "That's nice." 

There was cold silence for a while, then he drawled in his usual tones, the ones she hated so much since it sounded just like he had when he was younger and they'd all hated each other. "I didn't think you were so stuck up that you wouldn't take advice just because of who gives it to you. Sounds like a very _pureblood_ attitude." 

Hermione stood up slowly, rubbing her tired and red eyes. _I need to find a spell to take care of these things. Maybe the wizarding version of Visine..._ "Let's talk outside." 

The two of them headed out, waiting until they were quite a ways from the doors before they even started to talk. "I don't know what to say to you right now. I wish you'd let me help you!" 

"How do you expect to be able to help me if you get caught by those spells?" Draco countered quickly. She shook her head. Typical Draco attitude. 

"Stop trying to protect me all the time!" 

Draco snorted. "Only if you do the same." Neither of them was that much in need of help, if she'd just realize it. He was seriously considering _reconsidering_ associating with her if she kept on acting as if she had to not only hover over him constantly, but refused to take any proper precautions for herself. That was not the intelligent Hermione he knew. 

"I just want you to be happy." She murmured at last, staring down at the lake for some minutes. "When did things get so confusing between us?" 

"They just happen." Draco wasn't all that worried about it. It was just life at Hogwarts and the wizarding world. 

"Everything seems to just happen, and it happens to us!" She complained, kicking a tuft of grass as if it were responsible for everything. Draco rolled his eyes, watching as the giant squid rolled by on some business of its own, whatever business it might have. 

"Yes, and not that long ago, everything was happening to you, the Weasley, and Potter!" 

She sighed darkly. "Very well. I'm a jinx." 

"You're not." Draco snorted his opinion of that. "Things just _happen_. It's Hogwarts. What were you expecting?" 

Hermione closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Let's get to class. It's almost time, anyway." 

She had just started when, "Hermione, I want you to do me a favor. _Don't_ play in the game." 

"I promise you won't play in the Quidditch game." Hermione replied quietly, then turned and headed back inside before he could say anything, giggling softly to herself as she did so. 

Draco shook his head. _I meant that, you crazy Mudblood._ For once, the word didn't seem to be insulting. He started after her, wanting to talk to her as soon as he had a chance. 

* * *

When lunch arrived, Hermione started eating as swiftly as she could, her stomach having been complaining all day. Once she'd satisfied the initial hunger, however, she started to push her food around on her plate a little more. _Maybe I **shouldn't** play._

"Something wrong?" She looked over as Ron asked, a concerned look on his thin face. She shook her head briefly. 

"I was just thinking about the Quidditch exhibition team. Draco doesn't want me to play, since Dobby warned him something was going to happen to me if I did." She pushed around the food some more. It was getting a pretty good workout. "I don't know if I should." 

Harry looked concerned. "It's not like Dobby lies." They didn't like Malfoy, but Dobby was something else altogether. 

"I'm going to talk to Professor McGonnagal at the practice after classes today." Hermione decided at last. "Dobby _might_ be mistaken." 

"He hasn't been yet." Ron reminded her. Hermione pushed the plate away suddenly and stood up. 

"Don't say that. I wanted to play." She glanced briefly at the time, then looked back down at them. "Come on, it's time for class." 

The three of them headed down to the clammy dungeons, sitting in their usual spots once they arrived. Snape wasn't there yet, so Hermione felt a little safe in whispering to Draco, "I'll talk to McGonnagal. I'll...quit the team." 

Before he had the chance to say anything in response, Snape swept in, and started class. Hermione used the time to keep her mind off of what she was going to do once the day's lessons were over, and once it was all done with, she forced herself to head down to the Quidditch pitch. 

"Professor?" She saw the Transfiguration teacher looking over the stands carefully. They would be packed more full than they usually were, and she was double-checking Hagrid and Filch's work in strengthening them. "Can I talk to you?" 

"Of course." McGonnagal nodded, waiting for the other witch to make her way up there. "What can I do for you, Miss Granger?" 

Hermione took a deep breath and prepared to launch into her speech. "Well, it's like this. I--" Her words were cut off as with a sharp crack, the floor vanished underneath her and she plummeted into the darkness below. 

**To Be Continued**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

As Hermione fell, McGonagall snatched her wand from a pocket quickly and pointed. "_Leviosa!_" Her eyes tracked the student carefully as Hermione rose up, her hair a mess and her clothes ripped from her unexpected journey, but otherwise she seemed unharmed. _I'd better get her to the hospital wing. Poppy knows more about this than I do._

It didn't take very long for her to get the girl to the Infirmary, and soon Pomfrey was inspecting the Head Girl once more. Hermione winced lightly as she reached for her left leg. "I think I jammed it on something while I was falling," she murmured, clinical as always. 

"I'll take care of it," the mediwitch promised her. Hermione nodded, leaning back. Students learned quite swiftly to either trust or fear Pomfrey. Hermione had always opted for trust. 

_One more time release spell to go._ She closed her eyes lightly, nodding as Pomfrey advised her to rest. It was the usual sort of thing she or Draco had been told during their far too recent visits here. 

McGonagall touched her arm lightly. "Would you like Mr. Malfoy informed of your whereabouts?" Hermione just shook her head, and the teacher nodded, a worried look to her eyes. "What was it you wished to speak with me about?" 

"It's not important anymore." Hermione didn't bother opening her eyes at all. _I'm going to play whether Draco wants me to or not. These things are going to hit no matter what. Nothing can stop that, so we might as well just get it over with._

* * *

Draco headed down the corridor carefully, touching one wall with a careful hand. _I don't think I need to tell Pomfrey I still can't see that well in the dark. She'll keep me locked up in there until I'm ninety!_ Peeves had amused himself by putting out all the lights in this part of the castle, and Filch hadn't yet gotten around to fixing them. Draco paused for a moment to get his bearings, then groaned, recognizing a quiet step behind him. 

"Malfoy." Harry Potter stopped and looked at him. "I'm kind of surprised you're not with Hermione in the Hospital Wing." 

Draco's head snapped around and he stared at the scarhead. "What did you say?" 

"I said, Hermione got hurt at the Quidditch pitch. She was talking to McGonagall about something in the stands, and they just vanished under her." 

The white-haired Slytherin frowned ever so slightly, then nodded and headed for the Hospital Wing, not bothering to bid Potter anything like a proper farewell. 

* * *

Hermione curled up tightly on the bed, trembling ever so slightly. She looked up at a very familiar voice. "So what happened to you?" Draco asked. She wanted to growl at him, but she just wasn't in the mood. 

"How did you find out I was here?" 

He shrugged casually. "I have connections." 

"Harry or Ron?" 

Draco didn't even bother answering. That wasn't her concern, really. What had happened to her was. "So what was it this time?" He held his next threat in for the moment: going to McGonagall for more information. 

"The floor vanished under me," she told him with a sigh, then her eyes turned steely. "And I am playing. I am not going to let _him_ rule my life, and I am not going to let _you_ either!" 

He stared at her for a few moments, then, "Hermione." He looked at her, not quite certain just how to frame what he was thinking, then shook his head. Her eyes hadn't lost their strength and steeliness in the slightest. 

"If something happens, it happens whether I play or not." She told him. He knew she was right, and it was that galling knowledge that led to what he said next. 

"Of course. When you'd care to extend _me_ the same courtesy, please inform me." He stalked out gracefully, not letting anything but chill arrogance drape all over him. He was a Malfoy, a Slytherin, and he wasn't letting this get to him at _all_. 

Once he was back in the Slytherin dungeons, he stalked to his room and threw himself on the bed, closing his eyes. _I knew this was some kind of a mistake._

He had no idea how long he'd been laying there like that, but all too soon he heard someone tapping at the door. He didn't move an inch, but that had never bothered Pansy Parkinson. "Hermione's outside," she told him. "She wants to talk to you." 

"Not available." Draco didn't really want to look at or talk to her right now. _Who the heck does she think she is?_ He wasn't all that certain if he was thinking about Hermione or Pansy just then. He also wasn't sure it really mattered. 

Pansy looked at him for a moment, then shrugged. "All right. It's your funeral." The female Slytherin wasn't very thrilled about Draco dating Hermione, but she also knew Draco wasn't exactly showing his brains right now. 

She headed back outside and looked at the Gryffindor. "He said that he's not available." 

Hermione looked away. "Oh. I'm not surprised. Thanks." She was about to start away when Pansy asked something. 

"So what's going on?" 

Hermione sighed. "Our first major blowout, and probably our _last_." 

Pansy shrugged. "Well, you didn't really expect it to last, did you?" That was just sense. Slytherin and Gryffindor couldn't make it work. They were just too different. Anyone could tell that, and Hermione was supposed to be a _brain_. 

Hermione shook her head slowly. "I don't know what I thought. Maybe I was fooling myself to think that he liked me as much as I've liked him for a while." 

"He's a hard guy to like." Pansy recalled the fourth year Yule Ball. Draco _had_ been keeping an eye on Hermione all that night, and mostly ignoring her. _Idiot._

The Head Girl smiled ever so faintly. "It's easy to lose your heart to him, though. Isn't it?" 

"Yeah." Pansy turned as the wall that led to the dungeons slid aside, and Draco stood there. Hermione looked up and frowned even as she started to move back. 

"Hermione." Draco looked at her. "What do you want?" His voice was colder and frostier than she'd ever heard it before. 

She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at him. "I'm not going to your parents this weekend. The way we're feeling towards each other right now, I don't think it's a good idea. I don't want to fight in front of your mother." _Or your father._ The thought of what could happen if Lucius saw all of this was not a good one. If she broke up with Draco, it was going to be on her terms, not because Lucius thought it was the most wonderful idea since the return of Voldemort. 

"Very well." Draco's voice lost nothing of its chill and she clenched her fists. 

_Maybe we should break up...maybe this really isn't working out._ She wasn't going to say it, though. If she said it, it would be real, and that was the last thing she wanted. She nodded ever so slightly to him. "Good-bye." _That sounded final. Very final._

She knew exactly how much like an ending it sounded like as she heard Pansy asking, "Did she just dump you?" as she walked away. She couldn't hear Draco's reply, and she wasn't all that certain she wanted to, either. 

Hermione didn't really bother to think about where she was going. She just walked, realizing only after she was up there that she was in the Astronomy Tower. This was off-limits except for classes officially, but she didn't really care right now. She just needed a place to be alone. She curled up out of the way, wrapping her arms around her legs, and cried her soul out. 

_Wuh..._ Her eyes opened some time later. Stars glittered overhead, and a chilly wind had picked up. _I must've fallen asleep..._ She sniffled a little and wiped her eyes, then stiffened as she realized _why_ she'd woken up. 

Draco was standing there, looking up at the glistening stars. _Did he hear me?_ She sniffled again, then shoved herself farther back into the shadows, hoping he didn't see her. He glanced towards her, a frown between his eyebrows, then looked away, muttering something about having imagined it. She started to relax...until something tickled her nose and she sneezed twice in quick succession. 

"Hermione?" Draco came closer, leaning in until he saw her there. "What are you doing out here?" He almost sounded concerned. 

She stepped out, rubbing at her bloodshot eyes. _I didn't think I'd miss him calling me 'mione so fast._ "I was crying, without my cousin and friends coming in on me. What does it look like?" He said nothing and she glared at him a little. "What about you?" 

He shrugged. "I wanted to be alone." 

"Oh." She shifted a bit, then looked away. "I'll go then." _He even kicks me out of **here**._

"You don't have to." His tone wasn't really one of a peace offering, but it was slightly warmer than she'd been hearing from him. She just shook her head. 

"If I'm here, you won't be alone." She wanted to move, but couldn't seem to get her feet to work, and stood there staring at him. 

He glanced at her for a moment. "Did you want to break up with me?" 

"A little." She told him honestly. "But not really. I just wanted some time apart. To think things through." She watched him stare up at the stars, then suddenly darted over and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Something in the hug made everything all right again, as his arms came around her. She leaned her head on his chest briefly, then looked up, something irrelevant occurring to her. "You're tall." 

"Growth spurt." He grinned briefly. "I think I'm up to about six feet tall by now." She smiled as she leaned in and kissed him, moaning as his hands went through her hair. They kissed again, more and more deeply, and Draco's hands caressed her gently, igniting her heart and her passions far more swiftly and deeply than she'd ever felt for anyone in her life. They moved even closer together, and the night hid all that they did with each other. 

Some time later, Hermione glanced briefly at the stars, thinking back to her Astronemy lessons to figure out the time. "It's almost curfew! We have to go." 

"You know how to spoil the mood." Draco muttered, not moving from where he was with her. Hermione rolled her eyes. 

"You might want to straighten yourself up. You don't want people asking what you were up to here 'being alone'." She adjusted her own clothes and hair, then kissed him once more before moving away. "We can't do that very often, or we're going to be doing an encore." 

Draco grinned impishly at her. "Would that be so bad?" 

"If we got caught out of our rooms after curfew? Yes!" She kissed him once more, then quickly darted back to Gryffindor Tower. Draco watched her go, then headed back to the dungeons, a satisfied grin on his face. 

"Out past curfew, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape loomed up out of the shadows, and looked down his hooked nose at him. Draco nodded innocently. 

"I was just getting some fresh air, Professor." Snape nodded ever so slightly. 

"I suggest getting some rest." 

Draco nodded once more, keeping the satisfied cat-got-the-cream look off his face by effort. "I was just on my way to do that." He strolled along towards the dungeons, feeling on top of the whole world. 

**To Be Continued**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione stared up at the grand gothic manor rising above them and gasped. "Wow. I've never seen anything like that." Hogwarts was really more impressive, but it was a more public place, and didn't have the dark, almost gloomy look to it that Malfoy Manor did. Draco didn't seem all that impressed, but she wasn't surprised. It was his home after all. 

Once they got inside, Draco looked around, casually handing his cloak to the house-elf that had let them in and smoothing out his robe at the same time. "Mother and Father should be around here somewhere." 

Scarcely had the words passed his lips before his name was called from somewhere above, and Narcissa Malfoy appeared at the top of a high set of stairs. "I'm so glad you both came." She wafted downwards, moving as lightly as a ghost though she was quite obviously very solid. 

"Thank you for the invitation." Hermione remembered her manners as she inclined her head a little in greeting. 

Narcissa nodded slightly. "My pleasure. It was the least I could do." 

Draco stepped up a little. "Should I show Hermione to her room?" His mother smiled lightly. 

"An excellent idea, Draco. She's been put in the blue room next to yours." 

Hermione wasn't quite certain, but she thought she saw a faint grin on her boyfriend's lips. It was one of those there and gone again expressions that crossed his face every so often, and she had learned that usually meant something _interesting_ was going on. Just what it might be here she didn't know, but it was probably different. 

He led her through several corridors, up and down stairs, and in directions so dizzying she couldn't have found her way through them on her own with or without magic. Draco walked through it as easily as if it had been a common hallway in a Muggle home. He paused in front of a dark blue door and looked at it sharply. "Open up!" 

On noiseless hinges, the door obeyed, and the two of them entered. Hermione glanced around, fighting to keep her jaw from dropping as the real wealth of the room came into view. She had read quite a lot about wizarding architecture, but she couldn't name everything here; there was just too much of it. 

"I hope you like it." Draco told her. "The door should respond to you; guest rooms are spelled to answer to the proper guest or a Malfoy." 

"It's beautiful." She turned in place, trying to get all of it in at once, and failing miserably. This was _beyond_ wonderful. She turned when Draco called her name. "Yes?" 

Draco was standing by a dresser, and as she joined him, he pulled out his wand and tapped the third draw down, just a few inches from the end. The chest pulled aside at once, revealing a passageway beyond it. 

"Where does that go?" 

The silver-haired young man grinned. "I'll show you." He guided her down the surprisingly dust free corridor until they reached a solid brick wall. Draco tapped one of them with his wand, causing it to fade away. Beyond it was a room decorated in silver and green. 

"Let me guess, your room, right?" Hermione asked. Draco nodded, and she shook her head. "You take your house colors seriously, don't you?" 

He didn't look all that bothered by what she said. "It's a family of Slytherins. What did you expect? What about _your_ room at home?" 

"Purple." 

There was a quick shake of silvery hair. "Not my favorite color." He ran a hand across the green upholstered side of one of the chairs, leaving no doubt what _his_ favorite was. Hermione chuckled a little. 

"I painted it to match the lilac outside my window." It had been the first thing she'd seen in the morning for years, and once she'd started going to school at Hogwarts, it had taken months to get used to _not_ seeing it. She glanced over at Draco and smiled a bit, putting one arm around him, noting his own smile. "I like your smile." It appeared so rarely it was definitely worth noticing. 

A knock interrupted the quiet moment, and a voice came from behind the door. "Master Draco? Your father wishes you to know that dinner is in thirty minutes." 

"Very well." Draco raised his voice just enough to be heard, and hoped the maid would leave now. He had more interesting things in mind than listening to one of them. 

His wish wasn't granted, however. "Is Miss Granger in there with you?" 

"Yes, she is." Draco wasn't going to lie in his own home. 

"Thank you. Are there any messages for your father?" The maid wondered. Draco informed her there weren't, and they could hear her leaving at last. 

Hermione looked around a little. "I should really get ready." On the way there, Draco had told her about how formal his family tended to be when it came to dinners, especially with the family. It wasn't quite 'dress robes' style, but a bit less: a very tiny bit. 

"So should I." Draco showed her out through the passageway and closed it behind her once she was safely on the way. She carefully dressed in the nicest robes she had with her, brushed out her hair, and headed out into the hall. Draco was already waiting for her, a flicker of a grin as he looked at her. "You look incredible." 

She blushed ever so lightly. "I hope this is suitable for your family." _Or at least Narcissa._ Lucius' opinion only mattered to her insofar as it affected Draco himself. The younger Malfoy extended his arm to her. 

"I think it will be." A slightly wider smile flashed across his face, then arm in arm they headed down to the dining hall, Draco looking about for his parents at the same time. 

Narcissa came over towards them, smiling softly. "You look beautiful, Hermione." She herself was garbed in a pale blue set of robes that went perfectly with her hair and light eyes. Hermione nodded politely. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy." She was amazed to see that here, in her own home, Draco's mother had lost that pinched look to her face she'd had when Hermione had first seen her. Harry had mentioned once it made her look as if she were smelling something awful, but here she looked much more normal. It was a definite improvement. 

"Please, have a seat." Narcissa motioned them to the chairs, taking one at one end of the table for herself. Lucius was already seated on the opposite end, erect, stern, and forbidding as always. With a wave of his hand, the meal appeared on the plates before them, and they started eating. 

Once their first hunger had been satisfied, they did what all people did, and dealt with the real portion of any meal: talking. "Your father and I are going to Diagon Alley tomorrow." Narcissa informed Draco. "The two of you are more than welcome to join us." 

Draco looked slightly curious. "What are you going for?" 

"Various things we're low on." Narcissa looked just the slight bit shifty-eyed, and he figured they were also going to drop in on Knockturn Alley. "Let us know at breakfast if you will join us." 

Her son nodded slightly, though if he'd been asked right then he would've much preferred to show Hermione around those portions of Malfoy Manor that guests could see. The conversation turned to other things then, such as how the situation at school was and what Lucius had been doing with the family business and what they planned on getting the next day. 

"While you're in Knockturn Alley, I'll get the robe repair kit." Narcissa shook her head. "The house elves never get the right ones anymore since we lost Dobby." 

Lucius snorted something that might have been 'Potter's fault' but Hermione wasn't close enough to him to be certain. She wouldn't have been that surprised, though. Narcissa glanced back at the children. "Perhaps we should let the children get some rest. They have had a long trip." 

"You may go." Lucius barely spared them a glance as he waved them away. Draco didn't wait around for anything else, just grabbed Hermione by a hand and guided her up the stairs. Narcissa watched them go with a fond gleam to her eyes. 

"Ah, to be young and in love again." She chuckled softly as Lucius just looked slightly nauseous. She hadn't expected anything else from him. 

* * *

Draco kept hold of Hermione's hand as they walked up the stairs, more from necessity than anything else. "These things are a lot like the ones at Hogwarts at times. If you're not a Malfoy, you can wind up in some of the strangest places. Like a pit of acid." 

Hermione blinked slightly. "Lovely home you have here." Before he could say anything else, she went on, "You didn't seem too thrilled about going to Diagon Alley tomorrow." 

"I'd prefer to show you around the manor." Draco told her as he put an arm around her and guided her towards her borrowed room. "It's really fascinating. What do you think of things so far?" 

She glanced curiously at him. "Of how things are going or what do I think of the house?" 

"Both." 

Hermione thought for a few moments. "So far, things are going very well. Your father's being civil towards me, at least. That's a good thing. And the house is beautiful." Both of them fell silent, Hermione staring down into her fingers for a few moments before speaking again. "Draco, we've never talked to each other about what happened." 

"I know." 

She took a long breath, forcing the words out. "Maybe we should?" He looked as if he were a little reluctant, then nodded, necessity winning out over everything else. "Maybe we should change first, then talk?" Draco nodded as he got up and headed quickly for his own room. Hermione changed into a long, loose shirt and leggings, then lit a fire in the fireplace and sat down in front of one of the large pillows in front of it, waiting for Draco to come back. 

_That must be him now._ A knock sounded just as she started to pull her hair into a ponytail. "Come in." Instead of Draco, his mother entered, and Hermione quickly got up. "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy." 

"Are you enjoying your stay here?" Narcissa wondered. Hermione nodded quickly; there hadn't been much not to enjoy so far. "I'm glad. Draco hasn't brought anyone home before. I trust you're recovering from all that's been happening?" 

"A little." Hermione admitted. "We had planned on talking a little tonight about it." 

Narcissa nodded. "Good. Is there anything that we can do to make your stay a little more comfortable?" 

Hermione blinked; Narcissa wasn't what she'd thought, but she hadn't expected a question that sounded like she was staying at a Muggle hotel! "Not that I can think of." 

"If there's anything, please let me know." Narcissa glanced around casually, then smiled as Draco entered past her. "I'll have the house-elves get a snack ready for you for your talk." 

"That is kind of you." Those were definitely words Hermione had never thought would pass her lips to Narcissa Malfoy. 

"It's the least I can do." The thin woman told her as the two younger folk settled on the pillow before the fire. "I'll leave you two alone. Do behave yourselves...somewhat, at least." 

Draco's pale cheeks flushed just a touch. "Thanks, mother." As she left, the door closing firmly behind her, he looked over at Hermione. They both knew what was coming. Hermione stared into the fire for a moment or two, then looked at him. 

"The last spell isn't a life threatening spell. I have to relive what I went through, every night, until I either get over it, or I go mad." She stared back into the fire, her mind wandering over what had happened already. It hadn't been very pleasant finding out this was the way to deal with it. It was the first time in all of her years at Hogwarts she'd considered doing something permanent to a book that wasn't reading it. But what was, _was_. 

Draco took her hand in his gently. "I wish that I could help you with it." 

"You can." She told him. "Just be there for me." He nodded a little and she leaned over to kiss him softly, enjoying the contact. Part of her was amazed at how comfortable she was with him, especially given his actions for most of the time she'd known him. If she hadn't _known_ she wasn't under a spell, she might've suspected it, the turnaround for both of them had been so fast. 

A slight pop signalled the arrival of the snack, though no house-elves were visible. She was a little disappointed; it might've been nice to have a chat with them and see if any of them were as disaffected as Dobby had been. _Maybe I can find the kitchen and see if any of them want to trade news or something._ Dobby would probably want to get news of his old home, if nothing else. 

She looked over at Draco, meeting his pale eyes, then gripped his hand a little tighter. "Want to talk?" A nod was the answer. "What do you want to know?" She was fairly certain she knew already, and she was proven right. 

"Why you did it." 

"I didn't want them to hurt you. They would've _killed_ you, really." 

He didn't take his eyes from her face. "And they almost killed you." Something about that bothered him. 

She had a question of her own, now. "Why didn't you go when I told you to?" 

"I wasn't going to leave you. Your life was in danger, too. More than mine right then." Draco looked away, his pale cheeks tingeing to red as he came close to admitting he'd been acting far more Gryffindor-ish than Slytherin just at that moment. Hermione said nothing as she reached over to pick up a cracker. This was going more or less as she'd assumed it would. He wasn't going to admit to more than she was right now. 

"I was told they cast a spell on you," she recalled. "What did they do?" 

He snatched up a few crackers and bits of cheese of his own. "Just the Cruciatus." He said it as if it were something he'd experienced on a regular basis. Quite blasé about it, actually. Hermione shuddered just at the thought. Descriptions just couldn't do _that_ justice. 

"You recovered, though." She reminded him with a kiss on his nose. "What else would you like to know?" Hermione watched him quietly for several minutes as he chewed his snack, swallowed, and stared into the fire, his eyes thoughtful, until he looked back at her. "Did you think of something?" 

"Do you regret any of this?" 

She looked back into the fire. It was really quite fascinating after all. All the events of the last few months ran through her memory swiftly before she said anything. "Only one thing." She smiled just a bit. "When we were caught our first time." She leaned over to kiss him softly, not able to get enough of his sweet lips. He kissed back deeply, until she pulled away. "We shouldn't..." That could get them into more trouble than either of them wanted right now. "Do you want to know anything else about what happened?" 

"_Is_ there anything else?" 

Hermione shook her head. "I told you everything in the hospital wing." It had hurt badly enough saying it then. Reliving it now really wasn't on the agenda. 

"How did you feel?" 

One word sufficed. "Terrified." She clenched her fists; the memories surging back viciously. "I _hated_ that feeling. I hate what they did to us." Her voice choked with sudden tears. "Why? Why did they do it?" 

Draco's warm arm folded around her, and she curled into him. "Don't think about them anymore. There isn't anything else they can do, and even if they could, we wouldn't let them." He smiled gently down at her, a reassuring tinge to the unusual expression. 

"You have a nice smile." 

He chuckled. "You've said that before." 

"Because you do." She touched it lightly. "I never saw it before we started dating. Not like that. It was always the smirk before." She laughed as he gave one of his best smirks, then pulled his head down to kiss him more sweetly. "I know we can't do anything else, Draco...but will you hold me tonight?" He nodded slightly and she leaned closer to him. "Thank you." She accio'd an afghan from the nearest chair and wrapped the two of them up in it before closing her eyes. In a very few moments, both of them were sound asleep. 

"It does a mother's heart good to see her son happy with _some_ one." Narcissa murmured as she and Lucius peered at the two of them from the doorway. She closed the door silently before heading to her personal garden, Lucius striding alongside of her. "Why can't you be happy for our son, Lucius?" 

"If he'd made a better choice, I would be." The pale-haired man growled, his cane tapping along sharply. 

Narcissa sniffed. "He's happy. What better choice is there?" She was not overly surprised when he listed off several Slytherin pureblood females. "Most of those have boyfriends. Two have girlfriends. And don't even get me started on Pansy!" 

"I did hear that her only qualification was that it breathe." Lucius muttered ever so softly, and she nodded. 

"Exactly. Hermione is a strong girl, and someone who might be able to survive if something like what we went through happened to them. She saved our son's life and from what you said, barely survived. If that doesn't prove her feelings for him, nothing ever will. And I doubt that he will ever give her up." 

Lucius's lips twitched coldly. "Perhaps. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." 

"You might try getting to know her. You never know, she just might be your future daughter in law." Narcissa enjoyed needling Lucius like this. "Your father didn't like me, after all, and now he does. I hope history repeats itself. It does have a way of doing that, you know." 

"We'll see." Lucius didn't look all that eager for it to happen again. 

"True. Neither of us can see the future." Narcissa took her husband's hand gently. "Let's not worry about it for now. There are much more fun things to think about." Then she proceeded to show just what she meant. After all, _they_ didn't have to worry about being caught. 

**To Be Continued**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione curled a little more into the warm presence behind her, her head slowly lifting as sunlight tickled her eyes briefly. She turned away, seeking the warm comforting darkness of sleep, but it wasn't going to work out like that. _I'm awake. Another day._ She leaned back, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with a soft smile as she realized she was cuddling up to Draco, who was also just now opening his eyes. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she looked over to see a large tray of breakfast and a note. 

"It's from your mother." Hermione picked it up and read quickly. "Your parents want us to enjoy the morning and we're to meet them for lunch at Diagon Alley." She yawned a little, dropping the note, and snuggled back into him. "You're comfy..." 

Draco chuckled softly as he put an arm around her. _I don't think she realizes what she's saying. Must be groggy in the mornings._ He looked down as she tried to snuggle closer to him, murmuring a few incoherent things as the sun struck her eyes once more, then winced when a sudden cramp from having spent a few hours in the same position smacked into his muscles. She looked up at him, a little more sense in her gaze this time. 

"What's wrong?" He must have at least looked in some pain, otherwise she wouldn't have asked that question. He was going to have to work on that; Malfoys didn't show pain, or feel pain. 

"Just a little cramped. I'll be all right." 

Hermione apparently wasn't going to believe that, however. She squirmed around behind him and started to rub his back carefully. It was obvious she wasn't expert at this, and probably hadn't ever done it before anyway, but it still felt better. "You're not used to sleeping on the floor, are you?" The question got just what it deserved: a slightly annoyed look and a grunt. She just grinned at him. "It's an acquired ability, I think. Are you feeling any better?" 

"Yes." He stretched carefully, wincing a little more at the same time. He'd have to find Suvvy, one of the few house-elves who could actually pull off a decent massage, when he had some spare time. But what she'd done would do until he could manage that. "You've got nice hands." A compliment or two wouldn't kill. Sad about that, sometimes. He wouldn't have minded getting rid of a Gryffindor or two with a well-placed phrase. Someone with red hair and freckles came to mind on occasion. 

Unaware of his thoughts, Hermione peeked around at him, picking up some toast as she did. "What do you want to do today?" She chewed it as he considered the things that were available, and settled on what had seemed good the night before. 

"Show you around the mansion. What you can see of it, at least. There are places that non-Malfoys aren't allowed to see." He reached over to get some breakfast for himself, thinking of some of them. Even _he_ wasn't allowed into some of his father's rooms. He wasn't all that sure he'd want to, either. He watched as she selected a nice robe out of her closet, then headed into the bathroom to get cleaned up for the day. _This really wasn't what I was expecting when we made that bargain. It's a lot more._

He knew he had changed as well from that moment weeks earlier when he'd seen her watching him fly. He wasn't all that certain if he _liked_ the changes, but they were there, and he was just going to have to live with them. _When did she really start meaning more to me than just a convenience?_ The closest thing he could pin down to a time was their kidnapping. That torture had been because of _him_. When had he developed a _conscience_? It was sickening if he thought about it too long. 

"Something on your mind?" He jerked his head up to see Hermione looking at him curiously, her hair damp and a clean robe on, and shook his head quickly. 

"No, nothing really important." He darted out quickly and headed for his own room, showering and changing as swiftly as he could. He made certain he _didn't_ indulge in any more soul-searching as well. That was best saved for when he was alone, and wasn't going to be interrupted. When he got back into Hermione's room, she was curled up on the bed, her eyes closed and breathing quietly. _She better not have fallen asleep._ "Ready to tour?" 

She opened her eyes and sat up with a bright smile. "Of course. Where do we get started?" 

"Right outside." He guided her out there and started pointing out the various paintings of his ancestors, all of whom peered down, and he could hear some of them muttering about Mudbloods and Gryffindors being in Malfoy Manor. _Well, they're just going to have to get used to it._

The tour of the viewable part of the Manor took up a few hours, and by the time they'd reached the end of it, noon was creeping up on them. "We should head to Diagon Alley soon." Hermione noted, glancing at the time. "Your parents will be waiting for us." 

"All right." He motioned to their casual robes. "We should change first, though. Mother and Father will probably want lunch at one of the more expensive restaurants there." 

A quick scouring spell and a change of robes later, Draco walked back into her room to find her looking at a picture of himself on the mantle. He was dressed in his Slytherin Quidditch robes and was flying in and out of the frame with the greatest of ease. "How long have you been flying?" she asked as she saw him coming over. 

"Since I was about two, I think." That was when he first remembered being on a broom, at least. It might have been even younger. Malfoys were supposed to be the best and that meant getting started as early as possible. 

"That's kind of young, but you were lucky to be born into a family where you could do that." Hermione commented, touching the frame lightly. Picture-Draco eyed her warily, then flipped his hair back arrogantly and flew around some more. "I feel like I missed out on so much." 

He shrugged. "Not everyone is as lucky as I am." He deserved it, too. He _was_ a Malfoy. 

A quick Floo to Diagon Alley later, they were hurrying along the rows of storefronts. "I don't see them." Draco muttered, peering briefly into a couple of smaller stores that Hermione passed over. _That's where Father usually gets some of his Dark Arts things. But he's not there._ Not that he was surprised; that sort of shop usually didn't do much business til after dark. It was one of the few that weren't in Knockturn Alley, since they mainly sold 'upfront and honest' merchandise. However, if you knew what to ask for and who to ask it of... 

"Draco!" Hermione motioned inside Flourish and Blotts. Lucius stood there, just visible through the window, peering into some of the new arrivals with a disapproving cast to his features. As they came up closer, he put the book he'd been examining back on the shelf and turned towards them. 

"Your mother is waiting at the Silver Hawk." He stalked past them towards the door, letting them follow in his wake until they reached the restaurant. Narcissa smiled gently as they took their seats, nodding politely to them. 

"Have you had a good day?" Draco asked, making sure to sit in between his father and Hermione, even if it meant the two of them would be staring at each other already. Narcissa nodded quickly, an eager gleam to her eyes that came only when she was doing something she really enjoyed. 

"We've been quite busy. What about the two of you? What did you do today?" 

Draco glanced over the menu briefly, then ordered. "I showed Hermione around the mansion. The public parts, at least." He could see his father's pale gaze on him, and quaked internally. He had a feeling Lucius was going to be interrogating him pretty intensely about this later. 

"Your grandparents will be up tonight for the small party." Narcissa told them. "You two are free for the afternoon then." 

Draco nodded, and Hermione noticed his eyes lighting up at that. _I guess he likes his grandparents._ She hadn't thought about her own for a while, any of them. Meeting them should be interesting, to put it one way. 

Once they were done, Draco stood up. "We'll see you later, mother, father." Without another word the two of them hurried out of the restaurant. Narcissa watched, a frown creasing her face between her eyebrows. 

"They were quiet." She commented. Lucius nodded slightly, and she could see something in his eyes, curiosity and perhaps worry. "Something the matter?" 

"You were like that once." 

Blood drained from her face as realization dawned. "I was like that five times in my life." She knew each of them in rich detail as well. And that worries me that he might have..." She fiddled with her fork for a moment, then nodded. "I'll talk to her." This had to be dealt with _at once_." 

* * *

"You've been very quiet." Draco murmured softly, looking at Hermione. "Is everything all right?" 

She nodded quickly, with a reassuring smile. "Everything's fine. I just have a lot on my mind." She glanced away, a look of discomfort crossing her face. _I don't feel so good._ She forced herself to act normal, keeping hold of Draco's hand as they walked through Diagon Alley. 

"Did you want to look around any here before we go home?" Draco wondered. Hermione checked around, then nodded. 

"The Magical Menagarie. I have to get something for Crookshanks." She headed over there and started talking with the witch who ran it, while Draco eyed the skipping rats and rabbits who were turning into hats and back again. Once she was finished, she glanced over at him curiously. "Was there something you wanted to look at?" 

"No, not really. There's not much else that _can_ be done here anyway." Diagon Alley was really more of a place he associated with getting school supplies at any rate. 

Hermione nodded. "What do you want to do this afternoon?" They had to do something, after all. 

"How about some practice Quidditch?" Draco asked after a few moments of thought. "You could get in some practice, before it gets too dark." 

"What about you?" With as self-centered as he could be, she was surprised he hadn't said something about _his_ practice as well. That got her a patented Draco _Look_. 

"There's only two of us. We can't let out the Bludgers _or_ the Snitch without someone else there to keep an eye out, and I can't be watching for it and you." Rich scoffing tones filled his voice. "I thought _you_ of all people would have realized that." 

Hermione whacked him upside the head. "Cut the attitude and let's get out of here." 

"My attitude is me." Draco was utterly serious. "Going to have to deal with it." 

She shook her head; this was what one got when one dated a Malfoy. They hurried back to the mansion, and quite soon were hovering several feet off the ground, the Quaffle in Draco's hands. 

"All right, _try_ to block it." He told her, then threw it as hard as he could. Hermione got a good grip on her broom and darted over to where she could see it heading, grabbing it out of the air instinctively. She grinned and threw it back at him with a sweet smile. Something about his smug attitude made her _almost_ be upset that it hadn't hit him in the face. 

They kept it up for several hours, and no throw he made could get by her. If she didn't grab it, then she knocked it away with her broom. Draco's usually pale face was a little flushed as he flew near her. "I think you're a natural." 

"It's all those volleyball games I played back before I was accepted into Hogwarts." She brushed back her hair quickly, then dodged another incoming shot, whirling at the last second to get the Quaffle with the brush-end of the broom. "Tricky." 

"I can be worse." Draco warned as he swooped down to grab the Quaffle and threw it at her harder. Almost as soon as it left his hand, a low roll of thunder boomed across the sky. "I don't believe this, it's going to start--" 

_Crack_! Silver-white lightning ripped the sky open and a downpour nearly drowned the both of them in seconds. The Quaffle slammed into Hermione just as her attention was pulled from what was going on by the sudden lash of rain, and she slipped off of her broom, heading for the ground. Draco flew towards her quickly, the slight worry in his eyes covered up quickly. "Are you all right?" 

"Yes, I'm fine. Just soaking wet." 

Draco squinted through the rain and inched a little closer to her. It was almost impossible to see anything more than an inch or so away already, and his hair was starting to get plastered into his eyes. "Let's head inside." 

With brooms and Quaffle bouncing around in their arms, they got back inside the mansion without slipping _too_ many times. Draco went down hard once, and stared at his reflection in a mirror once they were inside, covered from head to foot in mud and worse. "I _hate_ rain!" He was glad no one from Hogwarts had seen this, especially no one _else_ from Gryffindor. If Potter or Weasley had, he would've Memory Charmed them and taken any consequences for it. 

"Let's go get cleaned up." Hermione shook back her hair and squeezed some water out of it, then grinned over at him. "You look like a drenched ferret!" She scampered off to her room, waving her wand briefly to get rid of her damp hair before stripping and jumping into the shower briefly. 

Once she was clean and changed again, she settled in front of the fire and stared into it, letting it dry the last traces of dampness from her. _This is really relaxing. I've heard some people in other countries meditate by fire. I wonder if I could find someone to teach me how to do that._ Even if she couldn't, just watching the flames flicker and flare was more than relaxing enough. She let her mind wander whatever it wanted, not lingering on anything, especially not the fact she felt comfortable enough in this place that not very long ago would've been the 'home of the enemy' to do this in the first place. 

"Interesting view?" 

Her head snapped up to see Draco looking over her, that usual amused quirk to his lips. "Sorry." She apologized out of reflex, since she hadn't done anything to be sorry about. "I was thinking about some things." She mentally grabbed at something she could talk to him about. "I'm nervous about meeting your grandparents." 

"Everyone who meets them is nervous." He told her that in a way that was trying to be reassuring, but really wasn't. It wasn't as if he had that much practice, after all. "It's a Malfoy trait." 

She rolled her eyes; he'd been going on about being a Malfoy so much lately she wondered if he was trying to convince her or himself. _I'll figure it out later,_ she decided as he put an arm around her and pulled her into a soft kiss. They stayed like that, soft and tender, heart-warming kisses, until a throat was noisily cleared and they both looked up to see two older people there, in wizarding robes, and with the man having the pale eyes, hair, and general look of the Malfoys. 

"Grandfather." Draco pulled himself up quickly. "It's nice to see you again." 

His grandfather nodded slightly as the youngest Malfoy crossed over to them, giving them quick and loving hugs. "You've grown into quite a young man." Pale eyes flicked up and down Draco before looking back over to Hermione. 

"You _are_ going to introduce us to this young lady, aren't you, Draco?" The elder Mrs. Malfoy asked with a slightly amused grin, her dark brown eyes twinkling in a very un-Malfoy-ish way. 

Draco nodded quickly as he headed back to Hermione. "Grandmother, Grandfather, this is my girlfriend, Hermione Granger." 

Mrs. Malfoy grunted in surprise. "Granger? Would your father happen to be a dentist?" 

That really ranked high on the scales of shock. What would a _wizarding family_, especially one as highly socially conscious as the Malfoys be doing knowing about _her_ family. "Yes, ma'am." Hermione wanted to get this cleared up as swiftly as possible. "I didn't know that you knew them." 

"We met them two years ago." Mrs. Malfoy lightly nudged her husband's arm with her elbow. "He _finally_ agreed to see someone about his tooth. All of the wizarding healers were occupied at the time, so I insisted he find the next best thing. It appears that turned out to be your father." 

The elder Mr. Malfoy obviously still wasn't that thrilled to have had to do it, but he just sniffed. "It's just as well he _was_ good. If he wasn't, I would've turned him into a snail and had him for dinner." 

"Of course, dear." His wife murmured in a very clearly unbelieving tone. Draco's lips twitched briefly, doing his best to keep his composure. 

"I didn't think that you'd be here this early. The party isn't for hours yet." 

His grandmother nodded in confirmation. "We heard that you had brought a young lady home, and our curiosity got the better of us." She smiled warmly at him as she came over to hug him. "And we missed you." 

Hermione watched as the elder branch of the family indulged in something that she would have bet Lucius would have Avada Kevadra'd her for seeing. _It must be because there's only family here, except me._ It made some kind of sense. Just what kind, she wasn't very certain yet. 

"We're going to see that father of yours." Mr. Malfoy declared at last. "See you at dinner." 

As they left, Draco looked over at her and shrugged a bit ruefully. In imitation of many other grandchildren everywhere, Muggle to Muggleborn to wizards, he just said, "Those were my grandparents." 

"I gathered that. Once you called them that a few times, I was able to make the connection." 

The two of them settled down together by the fire once more, Draco's long fingers going through her hair gently. Hermione shivered softly as she moaned in pleasure. "Don't start something you can't stop." 

"And now isn't the best time to start anything." Disappointment rang in his voice, and she nodded against her will. 

"No, it isn't." Right then, she hated being a teenage female with all of her hormones doing very annoying things at _highly_ inconvenient times. And it was only going to get worse as she got older, she knew. _I'm not an animal, though. I can control what I do. What **we** do._ "But it is nice to be here like this." 

She stared into the fire, feeling his warmth all around her as she did, then sighed as a clock began to chime the hour somewhere in the mansion. "We should get ready." 

"You're right." Draco sounded as annoyed about it as she was, if not more so. This was not a night for romance. 

On the good side of things, they were both finished fairly quickly, and back together. Hermione smiled at his dress robes, which were a much more attractive cut than the ones that had made him look like a preacher in their fourth year. "You look very handsome." 

"You look beautiful." He responded, noticing her slightly curled hair and lovely dress robes. "You clean up good." 

She rolled her eyes. "Do you say that to all of your dates?" 

"No, just you." 

Hermione wondered just how she kept herself from smacking him upside the head. _When I have the time, I'll do some research._ She shook her head a bit, then looked at him. "Ready?" 

Arm in arm, the two of them headed down to the grand ballroom where the party was to be held. Hermione peered around unobtrusively, taking in as much as possible at the moment. There weren't quite as many Malfoys and relatives as she'd expected at first. _Mrs. Malfoy did say something about this being just for the immediate family._ Warmth filled at the thought of being considered family, along with a faint sense of dread. Lucius' gaze, cool and icy from across the room, still said plainly he didn't like her being there. 

"Hermione?" She met somewhat bored gray eyes as someone tapped on her shoulder. Draco took her hand as she turned and started to tug her out of the room. "Come on, I want to show you something." 

That was unusual; he was _supposed_ to have shown her everything that he _could_ show her already! No one seemed to notice them as they headed out of the ballroom. Draco guided her to a set of steps hidden behind a tapestry, steps which wound higher and higher until they reached the very top of the mansion. 

"How many people use this?" Hermione noted. "It's kept very clean, for a 'secret passage'. There aren't any cobwebs and not a speck of dust anywhere. And it's been cleaned just today." She sniffed a little. "With three different types of magical cleaning liquid too." 

Draco wasn't surprised she'd noticed all of that. "Mother insists that every part of the mansion be kept clean, even the ones that no one else sees except once in twenty eons or so. That includes this. Besides, this isn't _very_ secret." They'd passed several doors, tapestries, and odd paintings that whispered and pointed at them, and he came to a halt in front of one set of carved double doors. "No one but a Malfoy can open this door." 

"I'm not surprised. No one but a Malfoy can do a lot of things around here. Do you have Malfoy exclusive lavatories?" 

"Of course. Did you think we made do with those little ones like in your room?" Draco honestly looked surprised at the very thought, then he looked at the door and spoke very clearly. "Blood rights." 

As the word was uttered, the doors opened slowly, revealing a wide and empty room behind them. What really caught Hermione's attention was the ceiling, however. At first she thought it was something similar to the spell on the Great Hall, then as a flicker of lightning arced across the sky, she realized it was made entirely of glass. 

"We can watch it, but we won't be bothered by it." Draco looked rather proud of that fact. "My great-great-grandfather had it installed. We could've just used a spell, of course, but..." He glanced about briefly and murmured, "Great-great-grandfather _was_ a little touched in the head." 

Hermione's lips twitched a little bit. "Somehow, I'm not surprised you said that." He glanced back at her curiously but she just shook her head, looking up at the ceiling above them and the storm raging beyond it. "It's so beautiful." 

"I've seen better looking things." Draco put an arm around her, guiding her to a comfortable chair to sit in. "And I can think of one particular one that's very close." 

She smiled a little. "When you want to, you can say the sweetest things." She poked him in the chest. "The problem is getting you to want to." 

The two of them snuggled together, watching the storm rage and blast above them. Time meant absolutely nothing...until a throat was cleared from the doorway, and both whirled to see Lucius standing there, hands folded over his cane. 

"Shouldn't you be at your mother's party?" 

Draco got up at once, helping Hermione to her feet. "I'm sorry, Father. We lost track of the time. We'll be right down." His father nodded slightly before heading back down the stairs, and Draco sighed, shaking his head. "A perfect moment, ruined." 

"Do you think he's mad?" Hermione wondered. He'd certainly _looked_ mad, which in someone with his self-control was fairly surprising. 

"Probably. Don't worry about it, though." Draco shrugged it off. "He usually finds a reason to get mad at me at least once a week or so." With that, he headed back down the stairs. She watched him go, a frown between her eyes. 

_What did he mean by **that**?_ She knew that they didn't have the best relationship, but that comment...chills ran up and down her spine as she repeated it to herself. 

"Hermione?" Draco stopped before he was out of sight and looked over his shoulder towards her. "Coming?" 

"I thought we were going to be behaving ourselves tonight." She grinned teasingly at him, and he just shook his head. 

"And you said that _I_ have a dirty mind?" 

He made it too easy sometimes. "No, I didn't. But now that you mention it..." 

"Let's just go." He hurried down the stairs, her laughter following him just a few steps ahead of herself, until they got back down to the ballroom. He glanced around quickly, skipping over where his father was looking at them with the usual glare of disapproval. _There they are._ He spied them under one of the floating candelabras and grabbed hold of her wrist as she came up behind him. "Come on, I'm going to introduce you to my _other_ grandparents." 

Hermione didn't have a chance to say anything before she was pulled over to an older witch and wizard, both of whom cooed and awwed over her in a manner that reminded her somewhat of Narcissa, only a lot gooier. That only made sense, since they _were_ her parents, after all. 

"Hermione?" Speaking of Narcissa, the lady of Malfoy Manor was suddenly at her elbow and tugging her away. "I'd like to speak with you for a few moments." 

"Of course." Hermione was about to go with her when a sudden wave of exhaustion swept over her, and she almost staggered. "On second thought, could it wait? I really think I should get to bed." 

Narcissa shook her head, a grave look in her eyes. "No, I'm afraid it can't. But we shouldn't be long." 

Stifling a yawn, she went along with her boyfriend's mother curiously, and found herself outside in a rather splendid garden that Professor Sprout would've died to get into, or get her out of. _I don't think I recognize half of these plants...they must be Dark Arts related._ Part of her wanted to sort and catalogue them, while the rest of her just wanted to run screaming. 

Neither got a say in what happened, though. Narcissa met her eyes firmly. "Hermione, have you and Draco had sex?" The fiery red blush was the perfect answer, but Hermione _really_ didn't expect her potential future mother in law to pull out her wand and point it at her. 

"Mrs. Malfoy---" Hermione was cut off as the older witch spoke two words, and a beam of white light shot out from the tip of her wand, encircling the teenager. _What in the world is going on here??_

The light seemed almost to hover around her, then it turned a brilliant blue and for a moment she could have sworn that it _focused_ on her stomach. Narcissa dismissed it with another word and sighed. "I suspected as much." 

"What?" Hermione closed her hands around her stomach, checking for any kind of hex or spell or anything. "What did you do?" 

Narcissa looked at her with almost tender eyes. "You're pregnant." 

It was amazing how the world could fall apart and yet remain whole at the same time. Hermione collapsed onto a bench, her head spinning. "I'm...pregnant?" Narcissa confirmed it once more, and she nodded, forcing herself to think logically. "All right. Let me be the one who tells Draco, please." 

"Are you certain?" 

She nodded sharply. "I think that I should be the one." Her hands were trembling so hard she doubted she could hold a wand if she had to. "When the time is right. Merlin, why didn't we _think_?" They'd gotten so lucky that first time, but now... 

Narcissa touched her shoulder lightly. "It happens. That's why you felt so tired. You'd best go rest now. You're going to need it." 

"I know." Hermione took a deep breath and stood up. "Let me go talk to Draco first." She remembered something else that had happened the last time they'd had such a scare, and she had to find out _something_. 

She didn't really remember leaving the garden, but the next thing she clearly saw was Draco talking to some of his relatives, who seemed to be giving him a hard time about dating someone like her. At least that was what she assumed when he looked relieved to see her. Of course, they could have just been boring him to death. "Draco? Can we talk? Alone?" She caught sight of Narcissa speaking with her husband, and those Malfoy eyes were glaring coldly across the room at her boyfriend. 

"Of course. Back where we were?" His eyes flicked upward and she nodded quickly. That was the best place she could think of for privacy right now. 

Once they were back up there, she closed her eyes. _I'm going to do this. I'm a Gryffindor, I **can** do it._ She opened her mouth and asked, "What are the risks for someone without veela blood to carry a child with it?" 

"Impressive. There's a good chance that they could die." Draco had been taught this from childhood, so he had the answer ready. 

"So, if you wanted children, you'd have to marry a veela or someone with veela blood, correct?" Hermione's stomach churned, and she didn't think it was because she was the only Gryffindor in a houseful of Slytherins right now. Draco nodded once more, curiosity bringing life to his usually lifeless eyes. "_Is_ that something you want? Children?" 

Curiosity shifted into confusion. "I don't know yet." 

"But it's a possibility." 

He nodded, and she tried to gather her courage once more to say something about it. Before she could, he had something of his own to say. "I've heard they're trying to find a way around the problem. The Malfoy line _does_ have to go on, after all. Why do you ask?" 

_They have to find a way. He shouldn't be an only parent...and I don't want him resenting me for this._ Hermione learned right then that there were some things that were too terrifying even for a Gryffindor to deal with, at least right in that moment. "Just curiosity." 

"Are you sure?" There was something in those eyes. He _knew_. She was certain he did, but he wasn't saying anything about it. 

_I can't deal with this right now._ She only half-faked an impressive yawn. "I really need to get some rest. I'm going to go lay down." 

As she left, Draco decided what _he_ needed to do was go talk to his mother. By the time he got back downstairs, most of the rest of the family had disappeared, and his parents and grandparents were seated by the fire, talking quietly and enjoying afterdinner drinks. "Mother? I want to talk to you." He skipped the usual pleasantries and got right to business. "Alone." 

She put her cup down and gazed at him briefly, then stood up. "Excuse me." Narcissa never forgot her manners, not even when she was home with her family. The two of them walked outside together, and as soon as the door closed behind him, she asked, "What is it that you want to know?" 

"Why was Hermione asking me about veelas and non-veelas having children?" 

Narcissa shook her head. "I can't tell you, Draco. She asked me not to tell you what we talked about. She wants to tell you herself." She looked up at her well-grown son. "Don't do anything to lose her. She's very good for you." 

Draco closed his eyes. "Mother. If she's pregnant..." He wasn't really all that certain _what_ he'd do, but he'd do _something_! 

"Ask her." Narcissa could offer no better advice than this. "But she was rather tired. Did she go to bed?" 

"That's what she said she was doing." Draco wondered if her exhaustion had anything to do with any possible pregnancy, then shook his head. Medical magic was _not_ his forte. 

"Your grandparents want to spend some time with you." Narcissa glanced behind him to see Lucius emerging from the mansion and motioned Draco back inside. He hurried by, nodding quickly to his father as he did. 

As soon as the door closed behind him, it sealed magically so no one could hear anything the two of them said. "I've sent a letter to Dumbledore about this. Snape _might_ be able to find a way to save the girl and the child." 

Narcissa nodded in agreement, amusement flickering through her eyes. "Does this mean you _want_ her to be saved?" She teased, but she knew how much sending that owl had hurt her husband's pride. He didn't like consulting the Headmaster on _anything_. 

"Saving her will save the baby, who is part Malfoy." That was all Lucius would say about the matter, but as he put an arm around his wife, she knew perfectly well that if anything happened to this child, he would be as devastated as he was. They had lost many other children to the veela blood in his veins, and to lose another would be a blow to them both. Something had to be done about this. 

**To Be Continued**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione lay in the middle of her bed, trying her best to keep her breakfast down. Her stomach kept on churning and rumbling, bringing back fairly nasty memories of the Polyjuice Potion. Ron and Harry had said that it tasted something like worms squirming around in their stomachs, but what _she_ had tasted had been ten times worse. _This_ made that seem almost like a pleasant memory. 

"'mione?" She looked up to see Draco peering at her, worry touching those pale eyes of his. She managed to smile a little at him as he started into the room. "How are you feeling?" 

She glanced ever so briefly at the sunlight slipping in through the open windows to the east and closed her eyes, fighting nausea once more. "Breakfast is revolting on me." 

"I'll have to talk to it, then." Draco tried a smile and she shook her head quickly. 

_Oh, I wish I hadn't had done that._ If this was what it felt like to be drunk, she was _never_ touching alcohol in her life! 

Once her stomach had settled down enough, she glared a bit at him. "The only way you can do that is if it comes out, and I'm fighting it!" He nodded a bit as he came over to sit down beside her, putting one arm around her in a gentle hug. She closed her eyes, fighting against the urge to cleanse her stomach out the hard way, and thought about anything else she could. "So what are your plans for today?" 

"Talking to you." He glanced outside to the sparkling bright sunshine. "And maybe some Quidditch, since it's cleared up." 

"I hope my stomach will settle down for it." She squeezed his hand lightly as he took it. "How was the rest of the party?" 

He shuddered to think back on it. "Dull. Lots of relatives talking about lots of things I've heard before." 

Hermione laughed a little, then winced, holding onto her stomach. "You should go to one of my cousin's parties. If one person doesn't leave with slightly singed clothes, it's a total dud. They also usually involve fireworks, beaches, and _tons_ of music." She thought for a few moments, thinking back. "The fireworks are the best part, and her dad usually burns himself during that part." She laughed, then quickly covered her mouth as her cheeks turned green. "I'm going to have to go see Madam Pomfrey when we get back. Unless my stomach stops doing cartwheels, that is." 

She curled up a little against him, a soft smile on her lips as he put his arm around her once more. His fingers went through her hair for several minutes, sending waves of relaxation all through her. _I think I'm about to go to sleep?_ Her eyes began to slide shut, then she yanked them back open. "Did you say something, Draco?" 

"I was wondering what you were talking to my mother about last night." He looked down at her, long fingers stroking through her hair once more. 

"About us." Hermione clasped his fingers in her own, tugging them out of her hair. "She's glad that you finally brought someone home." She looked down a little, her eyes closing once more. _I can't tell him. Not yet._

"'mione?" Draco asked quietly. "Are you pregnant?" 

Hermione stared at him for a few moments, then pulled herself away quickly and ran for the bathroom, the battle with her stomach lost. She could almost _hear_ Draco behind her wondering just what was going on as she cleaned herself up. _At least I don't have to tell him **now**. He won't be asking questions._ As she came out, she paid more attention to the sunbeams slanting in than to Draco. "I think I should head back to school. I need to see Madam Pomfrey, and maybe get some _real_ sleep." 

She slid into the bed and curled up, feeling Draco tuck her in before curling up beside her, one arm sliding around her. "I like this," she murmured, cuddling closer to him. _I want to tell him, but he's going to feel like he **has** to marry me because of this baby._

Draco looked down at her as she slipped softly into sleep, and smiled. _I want to know what's going on. But I'll wait._ He summoned a house-elf and informed the creature that they would be heading back to Hogwarts in the morning and to let his parents know. Once the elf had went on its way, Draco closed his eyes and followed Hermione's example into sleep. 

* * *

The door opened softly as Narcissa waved briefly at it, then strolled in, looking over at the bed. Draco and Hermione were still curled up in bed together, and his mother shook her head softly. _If I didn't already know they were, I'd suspect it._ She fingered the necklace that they had sent her for her birthday, a simple chain with a small ever blooming mini-rose encased in crystal, and shook her head. "Time to get ready to head back to Hogwarts." 

Draco's eyes cracked open slowly, then closed again briefly. His mother chuckled softly, then repeated a little more loudly, "It's time to get ready to head back to school." 

It took a little more prodding, but both of them were awake shortly. Hermione still looked fairly pale, much paler than Draco's usual pallor, with the very lightest taint of green under her skin. "Hi." She rubbed her forehead and cheeks, trying to get her brain fully functioning again. "Time to go?" 

"Time to go." Draco got up and held his hand out to his girlfriend, helping her get up. Hermione looked at the dresser, then glanced back over at Narcissa curiously. 

"Where are our clothes? I know we didn't pack last night." Hermione could hardly remember how she'd even gotten into bed the night before. Packing hadn't been possible in the slightest. 

"The house-elves took care of that." Narcissa told her. Hermione winced ever so faintly. She would never like the thought of living, intelligent creatures being used as slaves without so much as a Knut for payment, but right now, she was _very_ grateful. 

"Thanks." She rubbed her temples briefly. "I think I really _will_ have to see Madam Pomfrey when we get back." Hermione touched her stomach lightly and closed her eyes once more. _I really don't feel that well._

Narcissa nodded in agreement. She remembered quite well what the medi-witch at Hogwarts was like, and she would be a great help for Hermione. "That would probably be a very good idea." 

As Hermione headed to get cleaned up for the trip, Draco eyed his mother calmly. Narcissa looked back at him, not so twitching an inappropriate eyebrow. "Yes, dear?" Draco said nothing, just kept on staring at her. She smiled sweetly at him. "Have a good trip back to school, both of you." 

Draco watched her go, a slightly annoyed tinge to his eyes. _She knows something._ Just what she might know he couldn't be too certain, but it was _something_. He knew he was going to find out what, somehow, in some fashion. 

* * *

The trip back to Hogwarts didn't take all that much time, and within moments of them getting out of the carriages, Hermione had been pulled away by Professor McGonagall. "Narcissa Malfoy sent us an owl concerning your situation. Come along, I'm taking you to Madam Pomfrey." 

"Yes, ma'am." Hermione didn't argue as she was taken into the school and towards the hospital wing. _Draco's going to ask more questions. Will I be able to give him the answers?_ That was something she had no idea of, and had no idea _when_ she'd know. 

Madam Pomfrey was ready when McGonagall brought her in, and had an array of potions and spells to administer. Hermione drank them all and let them be cast on herself, letting her mind drift a little except when she really had to answer something. At last, the mediwitch finished up and tapped her on the shoulder to be certain Hermione heard her. "That should keep you for now. You'll have to come back for regular check-ups, though." 

"Thank you," Hermione nodded, then looked at her Head of House. "Draco doesn't know yet." 

"And why is that?" 

She shrugged a little. "I haven't figured out how to tell him yet. I want to do it for myself, though. And he _will_ know by the end of the week." She glanced up at them both a little nervously. _I don't think anyone's ever had **this** kind of problem here at Hogwarts before. It's certainly not mentioned in **Hogwarts: A History** if it has._ "Can I go back to my room?" 

McGonagall nodded slightly, stepping back to let her pass, and Hermione hurried along as swiftly as she could. _I hope no one changed the password while I was away or I'm going to have to wait until someone who knows it comes along._ As she came up to the Fat Lady, she did her best to get composed and smiled. "Hello." 

"Hello, dear. Did you enjoy your trip?" The painting smiled sweetly back at her. 

"Of course. But I really need to get in and get some rest." Hermione clenched and unclenched her fists, then spoke the password she remembered. "Dove tail feathers." _When I find out who set up **that** one…_

The Fat Lady's portrait swung open, and Hermione crawled inside quickly. Quite a few Gryffindors were chatting in the common room, some studying over in various corners, some talking in front of the fire. She could see her friends around one table, talking and doing homework, and waved a little at them. Most of the house members turned to stare at her as they realized she was home, and all those eyes on her began to make her feel _very_ uncomfortable. 

_This doesn't feel so…good…_ She hurried as swiftly as she could to the nearest bathroom. This wasn't going to be fun. 

As she vanished out the door, Ginny glanced over at Sam and Harry curiously. Her boyfriend looked just as confused as she felt. "I wonder what's wrong." 

"Probably something she ate. Who knows what the Malfoys put in their food." Ron suggested, no real heat on the insult, however, and kept on petting Ramas briefly as the ferret sniffed at his latest essay. "Someone should go check on her, though." 

Sam got up and hurried after her cousin, worry etched across her face. "Hermione? What's wrong?" Hermione just brushed her hair back and shook her head. 

"Help me to my room?" Sam knew her cousin very well, and she could tell that whatever it was, Hermione wasn't going to talk about it here and now. She helped the Head Girl towards her bedroom, Ginny joining them, and the door was closed firmly behind them. This was a female-only discussion. 

Hermione looked over at them once she was settled in, Crookshanks curling up on her lap automatically. "Draco and I kind of did something earlier this month, and…" She blushed and looked away, not quite able to finish this sentence, but she didn't have to. 

"You're pregnant." Ginny murmured, her brown eyes going wide and round in shock. Hermione nodded ever so slightly, amazed Ginny had figured it out so fast and from so few clues. 

"You have to promise _not_ to tell anyone. Not until I say you can, at least." 

Ginny's head jerked up and down violently. "I wouldn't dream of it!" This was the kind of thing that she'd only dared to dream about, and a lot of those dreams had been nightmares. This could wreck someone's life if they weren't careful, and sometimes even if they were. 

"I'm pregnant," Hermione petted her cat over and over, losing herself in the fur. "There is also a chance I could lose it. This is something else you shouldn't tell anyone. Draco is part Veela, and it's hard for a non-Veela to carry a child that has Veela blood in it. I could lose the baby, but I could also lose my own life." She looked down at the floor briefly. "I haven't told Draco yet." 

"Why not?" Ginny wondered. 

Hermione had asked herself that a thousand times already. The answer she gave now was the only one she had yet been able to come up with. "I don't know how. It's not that easy to tell someone they're going to be a father, especially when _his_ father hates me because of who my parents are." 

Sam snorted her opinion of Mr. Malfoy. "Idiot. So what are you going to do?" 

"Talk to Draco before the end of the week, and take it from there." Hermione told them. "And pray that they can find a way for me to keep my baby and my life." She closed her eyes in thought, then grinned a little. "Some good role model I am." 

Ginny looked at her innocently, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I don't know; you could be an example of what not to do." 

"Don't go out with one of the cutest guys at school, especially when he kisses like a god." Hermione grinned. She might _give_ that advice, but there was no way she was going to take it. 

Sam leaned back and shrugged, enjoying the break from Ramas crawling all over her. "Well, congratulations, and good luck. You're going to need a lot of it." 

"You're right. So congratulate me when I'm holding this kid." Hermione shivered at something else. "Mom is going to kill me." She glanced over at Ginny, and went some interesting shades of white. "_Your_ parents are going to **_kill_** me!" 

There were a couple of sharp raps on her door just then, and she looked over curiously. The private room didn't have the spells protecting it that kept males out that the regular girls' dorms did, so it could be just about anyone. "Hermione?" It was Harry's voice. 

"Come in." She wasn't very surprised to see that it was Harry and Ron both when the door opened. Emerald green eyes were full of worry as the door closed behind them. "Can I help you?" 

"Are you all right?" Harry asked, his eyes not leaving her for a moment. She nodded; Harry's habit of worrying about his friends had gotten more and more intense as the years had went by. With her dating his in-school worst enemy, his concern had only multiplied. 

Ron shot a look of his own at her. "Are you sure?" 

A quick glance into the mirror opposite her told her exactly why both of them were being a bit more concerned than usual. She still had that faintly green tinge to her cheeks, and it _really_ wasn't her color. "I'm fine. I know you guys have things to do, so off you go." She did everything but actually point to the door to get them to leave. _I don't think Ron even really grasps that Harry and Ginny are dating. Not unless he's figured it out while I was gone._ She noticed Ginny beaming at her boyfriend, then grinned internally as Ron actually _saw_ it. 

"Um…" The redhead looked from his girlfriend to his best friend with more and more confusion. "When did _this_ happen?" 

Harry looked just as confused as Ron did. "You didn't _know_?" 

"I knew you two were good friends, but when did you start dating? Do our parents know?" Ron wasn't quite certain how he felt about this. 

Hermione leaned forward. "No, they don't know yet, Ron. But they're going to approve, since they do like Harry, and I know he won't break her heart." 

Harry touched Ginny's hand ever so lightly, ignoring just how uneasy Ron looked at the mention of broken hearts. "Never." 

"Exactly." Hermione nodded, then looked at Ron, her eyes turning dark and angry. "By the way, if you do to Sam what you did to me, I'll stomp on your heart _after_ I rip it out of your chest." 

"You wouldn't have to, 'mi." Sam grinned sweetly, and Hermione laughed. "If Ron did that, he wouldn't ever wake up again." 

Ron gulped and shivered; there was definitely something serious about Sam's words. As everyone else started laughing, Hermione suddenly pulled herself off the bed and ran into the bathroom once more, the unmistakable sound of spewing coming from there. 

"I'm worried now." Harry eyed the bathroom door, and Sam shook her head. 

"You don't have to be." Hermione's cousin warned him, and Ginny nodded beside her. 

"Right. She's worried enough for all of us." The youngest Weasley told them. Ron fidgeted, one hand grabbing for Sam's at the same time. 

"But what is it? Is she really sick? Has she seen Madam Pomfrey about it?" 

Ginny rapped him on the knuckles hard. "Stop being such a pest, Ron. You'll find out when the time is right. When _she's_ ready to go, not until then." 

Harry looked over at the two other females. "But you two know?" Ginny nodded, but before anything else could be said, Hermione came back in. 

"I need sleep," she told them sharply. "So get out of my room, please." It was phrased politely, but it was definitely a command. "Please." 

Ginny got up and pushed everyone out the door quickly. "You heard her! She's exhausted, get moving!" 

"Thanks, Ginny." Hermione grabbed for the nearest nightshirt and started to peel out of her regular robes. "Thanks a lot." 

"No problem. Good night." Ginny closed the door, and if she had known, she wouldn't have been surprised that Hermione was asleep before she herself had taken three steps away. 

* * *

Draco walked towards Gryffindor Tower, not paying too much attention to the chatter around him. The babble of Gryffindors meant less than nothing to him, especially since none of them were skilled enough to actually _do_ anything to him. If it had been Potter or the Weasel he might've considered it, but as it wasn't… 

"Have you noticed, she's been throwing up just about every morning since she got back?" He didn't pause, but those words did jump out at him. The voice sounded a little familiar, and he thought it was Lavender Brown. He'd heard it raised a few times in those classes that he shared with the Gryffinmorons. "There's only one thing _I_ know of that does that! 

"Wow, I wonder if it's Malfoy's." It was yet another Gryffindor giggly wench. If the first one was Lavender, then this was definitely Parvati Patil. "Or…do you think she could have _cheated_ on him?" He didn't bother learning the usual habits of Gryffindors, but that kind of high pitched giggling really got on his nerves. If it was something Gryffindors did regularly, he was _very_ glad that Hermione didn't share it. 

"I don't blame her if she did. I wouldn't want that creepy thing to touch _me_! I can't imagine why she didn't stay with Ron! He's _soooo_ gorgeous!" It was the other girl this time, the one who he had heard first, Brown. Draco just rolled his eyes; he could come up with a thousand reasons why any other random _Gryffindor_ was so much better for any girl than Weasley. Actually having an income came first on the list. 

Just as he came up to the Fat Lady, the portrait swung open and Colin Creevy came out with some of his year-mates, chattering about something that sounded almost as boring as he himself was. "Hey, Creevy!" Draco snapped, smirking to himself as the photographer jumped at the sound of his voice. "I need you to get Hermione for me." 

Creevy stared at him for a few moments, then nodded quickly. "All right, Malfoy!" He hurried back inside quickly and rapped on Hermione's door. "Hermione?" 

"Who is it?" He could hear her just fine through the door; obviously some of the magical effects of Hogwarts. He gave his name, and the door swung open, letting him in. "Um, Draco Malfoy wants to talk to you. He's outside." 

"Thanks." Hermione put down the hairbrush and started out motioning him to go as well. "I needed to talk to him too." 

Draco wasn't doing anything as undignified as pacing, but he did look as if he might have been considering it when she showed up. "Hello." Was his calm greeting as she came out. 

"I need to talk to you." Hermione told him as the portrait door closed behind her. Draco nodded slightly. 

"And I need to talk to you." 

Hermione turned towards the hallway that led to the rest of the school. "Let's go to the Astronemy Tower." 

Side by side, the two of them headed that way, not saying anything until they reached it. Once they were there, Hermione sat down on a ledge, staring up at the early morning sky. They'd been back from Malfoy Manor for almost two weeks now (so much for telling him by the end of the week), and she'd been fighting to figure out just how to say it. _I think I have it now._ "Can I go first?" 

"Certainly." 

It was time to plunge right ahead and do it. "I'm pregnant." She didn't look at Draco. She _couldn't_, not right now. "Do you remember the last time we were here? And what we _forgot_ to do that time?" Her eyes flicked over just a little, just enough to see him nodding. "Our results are growing in me." She touched her stomach lightly. 

"So that's why you were asking Mother." 

Hermione nodded. "She saw how tired I was and I guess that she was the same way with her pregnancy." 

"Pregnancies," Draco murmured absently. Hermione blinked; that was something she hadn't heard of before. She was fairly certainly that he didn't have any brothers or sisters, but… 

But there were other things to think about now. "We're going to be parents. I hope." She leaned into him as he came over and put his arm around her. "I'm still going to play in the exhibition game. Madam Pomfrey told me I should be just fine. Your parents already know about this." 

"Do yours?" Draco wondered. Hermione shook her head. 

"I'm waiting to tell them in person." Her eyes glinted with amusement. "So Dad can kill you right away." 

Draco blinked slightly. "Thanks." 

"Just kidding." Hermione snickered a little. "He may yell some, but he won't kill you." She leaned closer to him again, enjoying the warmth of him next to her. "What do you think we'll have?" 

"Probably a boy," He thought a little. "Malfoys usually have or sire boys. It's how the line goes on." 

Hermione nodded slightly. "Would you mind if it were a girl?" 

"What if it's one of each?" Draco suggested, and she nodded, looking just slightly greener at the thought of carrying _twins_. Draco didn't notice, however. 

"That could work," she agreed. _If I have twins, he isn't touching me again until they reach Hogwarts. If then._ "As long as they're healthy." She leaned her head on his shoulder briefly. "What did you want to tell me?" 

He grinned up at her. "I was going to ask if you were pregnant." 

Her laugh echoed brightly in the clear morning air, and he grinned even more as they both got to their feet. "Let's get to breakfast." 

* * *

Some of the students noticed that Draco and Hermione came in together, something that hadn't been happening since they got back. They also noticed that when the two entered, the whole atmosphere of Hogwarts' Great Hall brightened by several magnitudes. 

"You okay?" Ron asked Hermione as she came to sit by them, waving briefly at Draco as he headed to the Slytherin tables. Hermione nodded quickly, a soft and happy smile touching her lips. 

Ginny glanced at her friend. "Have you and Draco talked yet?" Hermione nodded, her eyes flickering about to see who was looking at them. Quite a few of their friends and classmates were there, eating and talking and who knew what else. Even Lavender and Parvati had made it from their usual morning gossip session. 

Ron looked from one of them to the other in confusion, and Hermione knew she couldn't keep it a secret forever. _I think Lavender and Parvati already suspect anyway._ "I'm pregnant." 

Everyone who was in range turned to stare at her as if their heads were on the same swivel, some of them with forks full of food in their mouths. Ron blinked several times. "Malfoy?" She nodded, and Ron stared at her for a long moment, a range of emotions flickering through his eyes and features. Finally, he settled on calmness, perhaps sparked by the tear that Hermione wiped away. "Congratulations." 

"Thanks." Hermione nibbled on a piece of buttered toast briefly, then pushed it away, unable to stomach anything else. 

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Ginny was becoming more and more like her mother every day, getting into everything, whether it concerned her or not. 

"Just not really hungry." 

Ginny leaned a bit closer, trying to ignore the buzz of conversation, virtually all of it about Hermione and Malfoy right now. "You think it has something to do with…" Her eyes were directed at Hermione's stomach, and the Head Girl nodded quietly. "Maybe you should talk to Madam Pomfrey." 

"I've heard that so many times I'm _sick_ of hearing it!" Hermione snapped, glaring at her. "I'm as fine as I _can_ be, with something growing inside of me that not only I'm not one hundred percent prepared for physically, since I'm not finished with puberty yet, since I'm only seventeen, but I'm _also_ growing a little _parasite_ that could kill me, and itself! I've seen Madam Pomfrey once a week since I got back, and I'm going to keep on seeing her once a week! I've almost got a private room reserved in the hospital wing, so _stop telling me to see her, **got it**_?" 

Ginny stared at her, her eyes wide and shocked. "All right." Her voice shook just a little, then she stood up. "I'm just going to chalk _that_ up to you being pregnant, and not think that you actually mean any of it." Without another word, she headed on to her class. Hermione stared after her, then sighed. 

_I am **so** going to kill Draco for this. Mood swings suck._

* * *

Professor Snape would certainly have enjoyed deducting points from Gryffindor, if Hermione hadn't slipped in just before the bell rang. She sat next to Draco in her usual spot, smiling just a little bit at him as she started getting things ready. 

"You're looking pale," Draco whispered softly, banking on his position as Snape's favorite student to get away with this. "You look kind of thinner, too. You should probably try to eat more." 

Hermione turned a very annoyed look on him. It was bad enough that Ginny was mother-henning her, but he was starting to _really_ irk her nerves! It was _his_ fault to begin with, why was he even _talking_ to her? "I'm not pale, I'm not thinner, and I don't need to eat more. I haven't even been all that hungry to start with, so don't nag me about it!" 

Draco didn't so much as bat an eye. "You should try anyway. How have you been feeling?" 

"Fine. So stop asking me about it." They both went quiet as Snape called the class to order. 

"Today you'll be starting to work on your final projects. Choose a potion and work on it. Make it good, because if you turn in identical wart-removal cures that _don't_ work, you're going to have to deal with this all over again, and as much as you don't want that, _I_ want it even less." 

Draco looked at Hermione, paging idly through his Advanced Potions text. "So what should we do? There's a lot here." 

"I know." Hermione eyed the book, wondering why there were images of pickles, fried onions, and ice cream all in a bowl together wandering through her mind. Draco paused on one of the pages and motioned to it. 

"What about that one? It's pretty hard but I think we can do it." 

She shrugged carelessly. "Sure. Why not?" Ohhh, a couple of strawberries had been added to the mental image. Maybe she could talk to Dobby. It would be worth whatever she had to talk him into accepting for it. 

It took them most of the class to work through things, but the potion wasn't anywhere near finished as Hermione put some shredded thestral feathers in. "It has to steep for seven days in light, seven days in darkness, and seven days in salt water, then we can add the secondary mixture." She recited the procedure from memory and Draco nodded. 

"We can let it steep outside to start with. I know a spot on the grounds that's always in light." Draco was about to mention it was also very private and could be used for other things, when Hermione suddenly collapsed into a small heap of black robes on the floor. 

"What's going on over here?" Snape appeared by her side almost at once, staring down at the unconscious seventh year. "Mr. Malfoy, take her to Madam Pomfrey. Everyone else, back to work." 

Draco hurried along the corridors, up and down the stairs until they were in the Hospital Wing. Hermione was just starting to wake up as he placed her on a bed. "What happened?" The brown-haired girl murmured, the bad temper she'd displayed earlier gone. 

"You passed out." 

"Quiet, Mr. Malfoy, quiet," Madam Pomfrey snapped as she hurried over. "Let me deal with my patient." She waved her wand briefly over Hermione, muttering things before shoving various potions at her. "Take these, but be careful, and don't drink too fast. You don't want to choke." 

Hermione obediently drained the vials, watching as the nurse muttered a few more things. "It's because of the baby that I passed out, isn't it?" 

"Probably," Draco suggested as Madam Pomfrey gave them both very annoyed looks. "We both know about the risks." 

The nurse tapped her foot firmly. "If you don't mind, Mr. Malfoy, I believe _you_ have classes, and Miss Granger needs to rest. I suggest that you go. Once your classes are over, you may visit her _briefly._" There was a challenge in her eyes that dared him to defy her authority, and it was a challenge that Draco just didn't bother to take up. 

"I'll see you after class, Hermione." He kissed her lightly, then hurried on to his next class. Unluckily, that was one of those, which Gryffindor happened to share with him, and as he slid into his chair, Potter, leaned over to ask how Hermione was doing. _I suppose her friends will want to talk to her too. As long as they don't interfere in **my** visits._ "She's asleep." There was a definite tone to his voice that translated into 'Do not talk to me, Potter, you _annoy_ me just by existing'. He hoped Potter got the message. 

Potter did. 

**To Be Continued**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

As soon as classes were over for the day, Draco made his way towards the Hospital Wing. He did his best not to look as if he were in any way _hurrying_ there, of course. Malfoys never hurried if they could help it. As he entered the room, the first thing he saw was Hermione, reading one of her textbooks. "'mione?" He asked quietly. She looked up and smiled ever so slightly at him as she shut the book and motioned him over to her. "How are you feeling?" 

"Better." Hermione wrote down a few notes on the parchment situated on the table next to her. "Madam Pomfrey said that I should be able to leave in a couple of hours, but I have to see her every other day for the rest of the year." 

Draco nodded; that wasn't very surprising. His mother had told him often throughout his life that because of the drops of Veela blood in his veins, even as small as they were, he was best served by choosing some mate who had some of those same drops. The risks Hermione took by having his children were incredible. 

"What is it?" Hermione's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Is something wrong, Draco?" 

He blinked a little and shook his head. "No, of course not. Why do you ask?" 

"I thought there was, since you _were_ kind of staring at me." Hermione said calmly, tapping her fingers on his leg. "You know, eventually you and I will have to discuss _some_ things." 

Draco nodded. "Such as?" 

"The baby. That kind of thing." Hermione toyed with her quill again. "Not today, though. We have some planning to do, for the parents' weekend." She smiled a touch. "One of them is Neville's surprise for that." Draco rolled his eyes and she shook her head. Draco would always be Draco. "Any ideas?" 

"Not yet." Draco really didn't care that much either. Longbottom's surprise didn't really interest him one way or the other. 

Hermione nodded. "Well, if you think of anything, let me know. Professor Dumbledore has approved of the Hogsmeade trip on Saturday before the ball, but we're not helping to set it up. We're supposed to enjoy the day with our families and tell them about the baby." Her eyes glinted in amusement. "And hide you from my father." 

Draco's fingers twitched ever so slightly towards his wand, and Hermione grinned. "I'm kidding. Like I said, he's going to be mad, but I think it'll be me that he's really upset at." She sighed darkly, staring down at her lap. "His bright little Hermione, who could do no wrong, screwed up in the biggest way." 

Her boyfriend touched her hand a little, then squeezed it and kissed her. Hermione pulled back before they could do much more, however. "That's what got us into this position." Of course you couldn't get much more pregnant than she actually was, but why take more chances? 

"True." Draco nodded, then grinned as her stomach growled sharply. "Hungry? I'll go find Madam Pomfrey. Maybe she'll let you leave so you can get some food at the Great Hall." He jumped up before she could say or do anything to protest and hurried to find the medi-witch. 

Madam Pomfrey turned out to be in her office, speaking quietly with Professor Snape. "Madam Pomfrey?" Draco interrupted quietly. "Can 'mione leave? She's getting hungry and she's feeling a lot better. I don't really think she needs to stay here any longer." 

"Oh, you don't?" The nurse sounded _very_ amused. "I wasn't aware that you had completed your mediwizard training, Mr. Malfoy." 

Something in her tone sent spots of red flaring in Draco's cheeks. "I might not have, but I'll have you know my father has always employed the finest—" 

"Enough, Mr. Malfoy." Professor Snape's voice rose over his. "Pomfrey, is it _your_ opinion that Granger is well enough to leave? I certainly see no reason why she should laze about here as if she's actually injured. Pregnancy may be risky, but it is most definitely not an ailment." 

The nurse nodded, a smile tugging at her lips at the same moment. "Make certain she eats a _full_ meal, and let me know if she doesn't." Draco nodded and started back, the last thing he heard being, "Now, Professor, I know you understand the hormonal changes necessary for this, but-" 

Hermione was studying again by the time he got back, but she looked up as soon as he stepped up to her. "Ready to go? You've got permission to get out of here. Madam Pomfrey did say that you have to eat a full meal, and I'm going to make sure that you do." 

"Oh, really? Am I expected to eat at your house's table too?" Hermione snorted as they headed towards the Great Hall. Draco shook his head. 

"No, I can see you perfectly well from mine. Just don't try and cheat. I don't want you spending more time in there." 

His girlfriend nodded a little, then headed over to the Gryffindor table while he went to his. Harry and Ron made room for her in between them, with Ginny seated on Harry's other side, while Sam was beside Ron, and Ramas running up and down the table nibbling food from various plates. 

"Are you all right?" Harry asked her worriedly as she sat down. "Malfoy wouldn't really tell us anything." 

"I will be." Hermione reassured him the best that she could. "Lavender, how have you been doing? We haven't really had a chance to talk lately." 

"Just fine." The other girl colored quite prettily, her eyes flicking across the Great Hall to _some_one. Hermione couldn't be quite certain where her gaze was going, but something told her that she was looking towards the…Slytherin section? That was unusual. Who could have caught her eye there? 

Dinner was one of the best ones that Hogwarts had ever had; not really a feast, but probably the next thing to it. Hermione chatted with Lavender, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Sam, and several others of her House that she hadn't talked to in quite a while. Lavender still kept on shooting the occasional look across the Great Hall, and with every one, Hermione was more and more convinced that her friend was looking at the Slytherin table. 

_In fact, I think she's looking about where Draco is._ She knew that Lavender wouldn't ever try and catch the eye of a taken guy, so Draco wasn't the one who had the other Gryffindor girl's attention. _I wonder if she likes a Slytherin too. Who could it be if she does?_ Hermione had never had the interest in gossip and dating that Lavender and Parvati had, but this mini-mystery was starting to grab her attention somewhat. 

_I guess she'll tell me if I really need to know._ Lavender's romances were her business, after all, not Hermione's. She glanced over to where Neville was seated a few feet away, going through some of his homework as he ate. He'd worked harder and harder as the years had passed, and except in Potions, his work was graded almost as highly as hers. 

"Hermione?" She turned to see Ron looking at her, the familiar look of worry in his eyes. "Are you all right? You look like something's on your mind." 

"There is." Draco wasn't going to be of any use on this project, so she was going to have to handle it herself. It was really more of a Gryffindor situation anyway. "I need some help with something. Do you think you guys," she waved briefly to Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Sam, "Could help me?" 

"Sure." Ron nodded at once, the light of eagerness shining from his face, just like it did every other time Harry had urged them into some kind of adventure. "What is it?" 

She glanced briefly down at Neville, who had put his books aside to concentrate on eating right now, then looked back at the group. "I'll tell you in my room tonight." Her eyes flicked back towards the hapless wizard, and sighed mentally. _He doesn't even know that his Grandmother is coming. I hate having to keep it from him, but it'll be worth it if everything works out properly._ She had always had a kind of a soft spot for him over their years at Hogwarts. He'd been the first one of a wizarding family she'd befriended, and he'd never looked down on her for a heartbeat for being of Muggle descent. _Sometimes I forget I met him before I met Ron and Harry. He fades into the woodwork so easily._

She leaned forward a little. "Are you all right, Neville? I don't think I've seen you study this much in a long time." 

"I'm fine. We just have N.E.W.T.s in a few weeks, and I want to be sure I get a good score." His round face beamed towards her. "I want to try to be Professor Sprout's assistant if I can after we're done with school, and I really need top marks in Herbology for that." He sighed a little. "And Potions wouldn't hurt either, but I don't know if I can pull it off." 

"You can do anything you really try to, Neville. And if you want to talk or need some help studying…" Hermione trailed off, letting it be an open-ended invitation. He smiled at her and nodded eagerly. 

"Don't worry. I'll just do my best. That's what you guys have been telling me all these years, after all. If I _do_ fail, it won't be because I didn't try." Neville opened his book again and stared down into it firmly, whispering formulae and ingredients over and over. 

Hermione nodded, then glanced over at the rest of her friends. "I'm going to head up, after I say good-bye to Draco. Just knock, I'll let you in." She headed over to Draco, noting somewhere in the back of her mind that no one seemed to notice or care that a Gryffindor was heading over to the Slytherin side of things. _I believe humans, even witches and wizards, can get used to anything in time._

As she came up to Draco, she was about to get his attention when something else caught her eye. The boy seated next to him seemed to be casting quick glances over towards the Gryffindor tables. She glanced back over, and blinked. _Lavender? He's looking at Lavender? Wait…that's the boy who was with Draco in the Hospital Wing when he was hurt! Blaise Zabini! He and Lavender are **looking** at each other like that??_ Well, it seemed new things happened every day. 

It still wasn't her concern, though. "Draco, I know you were watching me, so I know you saw me eating. I'm going to head up to my room now. I'll see you tomorrow." She dropped a soft kiss on his lips and headed away, noticing that Blaise and Lavender still kept eyeing each other when they thought no one was looking. _I think Draco and I started a trend._

Hermione muttered the password to get into her rooms and started working on her homework, getting as much of it done as she could before there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" She would've opened the door herself, but since Crookshanks had curled up on her lap in his usual ginger rug position, it was a bit on the impossible side. 

Ron, Harry, Sam, and Ginny came in, closing the door behind them as they did. Hermione put her book down and got things started. "Everyone knows about the surprise we're working on for Neville, right?" 

"Right." Ron nodded, glancing at Sam. "I told her about it before we came up here." 

"Good. The surprise is going to be ready for the family weekend, but we still want to surprise Neville. I still don't know _how_ though." 

Harry tapped his fingers on the arms of the chair he was in. "My invisibility cloak could be used, I guess." 

"Then the whole school will know that you have it." Hermione pointed out. Harry just shrugged. 

"Not necessarily. It's not like mine is the only cloak in the world. We know Mad Eye Moody had one, after all." 

Sam raised her hand a bit. "What if they came early, and came directly to the common room? Someone can need his help with Herbology and they can keep him in here until they show up and say 'hi'." 

Ron's head drooped glumly. "I could use some help with Herbology…for real." 

"Perfect." Hermione approved. "You know that's Neville's best class. I'm having trouble competing with him in that class." Her grin got even wider. "The family weekend is less than two weeks away. I can get Draco to bring them to the Fat Lady and I'll get them inside." 

She pulled a piece of parchment over to her and started to write a quick note to Draco. Once it was ready, she leaned back, her arms wrapped around her stomach. "There is more, though. There's a chance that I might lose the baby." She shivered slightly, thinking of the small life, and great danger, growing inside of her. "Not just the baby, though. I could lose my life. Draco is part Veela and it's next to impossible for someone without Veela blood to carry that person's child." 

Ron looked at her, his eyes touched with steel. "You're not going to die." 

"Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape are working on something that will prevent that from happening." Hermione told them. "But unless they can find it, I don't see that fact changing." 

"Hermione," Ron rolled his eyes just a bit. "Who generally winds up finding the things we need?" 

The Head Girl gave him a very dirty look. "I hate to tell you this, but I _don't_ know how to get out of this one." She motioned to the book she had been reading. "Normal Veela pregnancies are seven months. The baby develops so much faster in Veelas, which is why it's so dangerous for those who _aren't_ Veela to get pregnant by someone who has just an ounce of Veela blood in them." Her hand shook ever so slightly. "I'm so scared." 

Ginny touched her hand reassuringly. "We're here for you." Hermione glanced from one face to another, seeing nothing but friendship, support, and love from all of them. This was what it meant to have friends. 

"Guys, we have N.E.W.T.s coming up right after the family weekend," Hermione decided it was time for a change of subject. "Why don't we arrange some study sessions?" 

Ron groaned, sinking his head into his hands. "Do we _have_ to?" 

"Yes." Hermione snapped. "Life isn't stopping just because I'm pregnant, you know. These tests are incredibly important to the things we're going to be doing after we're through with Hogwarts. Besides, I need something to keep my mind off what's going on, and there's nothing better than studying for that!" She stood up, Crookshanks tumbling to the floor at the same time. "Now, I've got homework and sleep to finish. Excuse me." 

"Anything else we can do to help?" Ron wondered. Hermione snorted. 

"Find a way to prevent the future from ending for me?" 

The redhead just grinned at her with all the irrepressible energy that came in with being a Weasley. "I don't think that'll be a problem. We've done harder things. We passed Potions, didn't we?" 

Hermione shook her head and whacked him on the arm. "We haven't really passed _yet_. But you guys are the greatest. Get out of here, I have to study." 

Hermione came down to the common room two weeks later, and the first thing she saw was Ron and Neville poring over some Herbology texts together. She could see the light of comprehension dawning in Ron's eyes at last, and wondered just how Neville was phrasing it so that he understood. Ron had done fairly well in the lower years, but as they had gone through the years, things had gotten a little too complicated for him. 

"Good morning," she smiled at her friends. "I'm going out for a little while. How are you doing, Neville?" 

"All right." Neville nodded without even bothering to look up from the book as he segued into answering some more of Ron's questions. Hermione grinned, then headed out of the common room. 

Just as the Fat Lady closed behind her, she saw Draco leading two people over towards her. She kissed him on the cheek once he got close enough, then looked at the others. "Are you ready to surprise him?" 

"Definitely." One of them nodded eagerly, their companion just as eager. "It's been a very long time." 

Hermione turned and whispered the password again, once she made sure that Draco wasn't able to hear it. The Fat Lady's portrait swung to one side, and the three of them clambered inside. She motioned for them to stay just out of sight, then headed back into the common room. 

"Neville? Could you come over here for a few moments? I've got something for you." She waited for him to get over to her, then signalled the two of them to come out. "Neville, it seems there was a slight error on the guest list for the family weekend." 

As she stepped to one side, Neville looked very confused. "What are you talking about? Hermione?" His eyes grew huge and wide as he realized just who was standing there. 

Frank and Alice Longbottom stood there, sense and reality in their eyes that Neville couldn't remember seeing in his entire life. Alice stepped over to him. "Neville…" She held her hand out to him, and Neville stared, utterly unable to move or speak. 

"Hello, son," Frank touched his son's shoulder lightly. "We've missed you." 

Neville blinked several times, stuttering, "I…you…but…a…" All coherency had deserted him. "_How_?" 

"It's the work of Nicholas Flamel." Frank explained quietly. "Once we were fully aware again, he told us that he'd modified some of the remaining Elixer of Life he had to restore our minds, instead of granting us eternal life. We've been getting caught up on what has been going on in the wizarding world and putting our lives back together, or we would have been here sooner to meet you." 

"This young lady," Alice motioned to Hermione, "planned this little surprise with your grandmother." 

Neville looked from his mother to his father, then looked over at Hermione, his mouth working without anything actually coming out, sniffing at the same time. A few fat tears slid down his cheeks, then a complete waterworks spouted forth as he hugged his parents with all the strength in his body. 

Hermione smiled a bit, then slipped away, heading for the usual spot in the Astronemy Tower. Draco was already there waiting for her. "Well?" He glanced over at her as she walked over to him. 

"Everything went just as planned." Hermione dropped a kiss on his lips. "My parents and Harry's aunt should be arriving shortly. Are you ready to meet them?" 

Draco nodded a little. "I think I can handle a mere set of _Muggle dentists_. They're not all that scary, after all." 

"You'd be surprised." Hermione grinned. "I do hope you remember your promise." 

"Promise?" Draco looked as playfully innocent as he could and she smacked him again. She knew he remembered; he was just being himself. 

"Tomorrow night, we reveal who we saw in that potion to each other?" 

"All right, all right." Draco leaned into her for a moment. "Come on, we have people to meet. My parents should be here already too." 

Hermione shivered lightly. "Your parents. My parents. At the same place, and the same time." _This will be the first time Muggles have been inside Hogwarts. I hope the Headmaster knows what he's doing._ She trusted his judgment, but some of the parents of the half-and-halfs or Muggleborns could be really weird at times. "Well, let's get going." 

**To Be Continued**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

The Grangers stared all around themselves as they entered the Great Hall, jaws dropped and eyes virtually bugging out of their heads. Petunia Dursley stood a few feet away from them, the habitual calculating look in her eyes as she took it all in. Hermione tried not to pay attention to _her_, though. 

"Hello, Hermione," her mother smiled at her as she came over. Hermione checked the older woman out quickly, noting with pleasure that she seemed _much_ healthier than the last time they'd met. "This is a wonderful place." 

Hermione nodded, feeling a little self-conscious. She'd never once dreamed that her parents would be here at Hogwarts. The two worlds she lived in were growing closer together, and it was a little hard to figure out just how she felt about that. But she wasn't going to let them know that, at least not yet. "Hi, Mum. You're looking very well." 

"And who is this?" Her father eyed Draco where he was standing beside Hermione. "A friend of yours?" 

Hermione nodded quickly. "Dad, Mum, this is Draco Malfoy." Her boyfriend bowed politely, though she was certain that only she caught the look of pure revulsion that came from showing such courtesy to a pair of _Muggles_. "Can we find a place to talk? Somewhere that's quiet and out of the way. It's very important." 

"What's the problem, Hermione?" Her mother wondered, laying a hand on her shoulder. "What could be _that_ bad?" 

"Outside." Draco said firmly, leading them all back outside. "That's the only place safe enough." 

Once everyone was out there, with enough space around so they could tell if anyone was trying to listen in, Hermione looked into her parents' faces. "Draco and I have something important to tell you." She reached down to take his hand. "I'm pregnant." 

Even the birds seemed to stop singing, and the wind ceased to blow. The noise of the happy families in the castle wasn't audible. The ripples in the lake continued to ripple, but there was no sound to it. 

The unnatural silence was broken by Mrs. Grnager. "Hermione…are you serious?" 

"Yes." 

Her mother shook her head, eyes turning from one of them to the other over and over again. "How? Wait, I know how, but…_how_??" 

Hermione sighed deeply, squeezing Draco's hand. _I wish the others could be here. I miss them._ Draco was the right person to be with her, but without Harry, Ron, Sam, and Ginny, she just felt too alone. "Draco and I neglected to take the proper precautions. We were very busy, and didn't think…" 

"I'll say that you didn't think!" Her father shouted at her. "What is this going to do to your education? And what about afterwards?" 

Hermione closed her eyes for a few moments, then looked at her father. "There's also a chance that I could lose the baby." 

Both of them stared at her as if she'd just sprouted another head. Draco stepped up a little. "Physical incompatibilities are a major issue in this pregnancy." He paused, trying to think of ways these poor magic-deprived creatures could understand about his world and his ancestry. 

"There is a race called Veela. They're very similar to humans, but they aren't human. Draco has some of their blood, and because of that, the baby and I could both die. Professor Snape is working on something to save the two of us." Hermione clarified it in the simplest terms possible. 

Her father frowned, confusion still written across his features. "Exactly how can a _school teacher_ do something like that?" 

"Professor Snape is much more than a _teacher_!" Draco stared down his nose at the silly Muggle. "He is the greatest Potions specialization wizard in the entire _world_! If anyone can find a way to save them both, he's the one." 

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Hermione interjected. "I trust Professor Snape's skills." _Which is true. I don't like him, but he knows his work._

"And if you're not?" 

Hermione shook her head. "I don't really want to think about that, Dad." 

Uncomfortable silence fell between them for a few moments, until her father looked at Draco. "I would assume that you're planning on marrying my daughter?" Unspoken, but _very_ clearly present, in his tone was the phrase _you had better be since you got her pregnant._ Draco wasn't cowed for a heartbeat. 

"We haven't discussed it yet. Before anything happens, we'll have to finish school of course." 

Hermione glanced at the sun and formed a mental whisper of thanks as she realized just what time it was. "I need to check on things for the Quidditch game this afternoon. Here comes Samantha. She'll want to talk to you guys." She tugged on Draco's sleeve and headed back inside the castle as Sam charged her aunt and uncle. 

"Hi! I've missed you both so much!" She wrapped her arms around them both and hugged hard. "It's been so long!" 

Mrs. Granger touched her niece's long locks. "You changed your hair again." 

"Ron didn't think his mom would like the purple." Sam ran a hand through the now-blonde mane, then noticed her aunt and uncle both looking at her as if wondering why the opinion of Ron's parents was so important to her. "Ron and I started dating." 

Mr. Granger nodded slightly. "Congratulations, and be careful. Unlike…" 

Sam glanced over to see Hermione and Madam Hooch talking. "I wish I could be as happy as Hermione is with Draco, but maybe with time." 

"Real relationships take time." Mrs. Granger nodded with a fond glance at her husband. Sam had to agree. 

"I guess Mi's lucky, then. They're constantly together." She looked over to where Draco was talking with a couple that could only be his parents. She'd heard they'd been at Hogwarts a few times, but she hadn't ever seen them herself. "It doesn't hurt that they're in most of the afternoon classes together. You can tell that they love each other very much." 

Hermione looked back from where she was talking with Madam Hooch, then waved politely at her parents, who returned it. "I'm going to go find the girls' team. Thanks for everything, Madam Hooch." 

"My pleasure, Miss Granger. Good luck, to both teams." The flying teacher motioned her off, then hurried to check on the Quidditch pitch. 

Hermione located the rest of her team, talking to them about when to get their parents to the Great Hall and when they could all change for the meet. Once that was taken care of, she headed back to where she'd left her parents. Before leaving the castle, she leaned against the wall, trembling a little. _I think I might have overdone it._

It took her a few moments to get her breath back, then she headed on back outside. "Mum, Dad, I've gotten everything taken care of I need to for now." She tried to get things settled in her head. "How mad are you two about what we told you?" 

"We had thought you'd be more careful," Mrs. Granger shook her head sadly. "We really did, Hermione." 

"So did I." Her daughter nodded. "It wasn't something that I meant to happen. This relationship isn't something I thought _would_ happen. He was such a git when we were younger. He still can be now, too. But I care a lot for him, no matter what his family thinks." 

"How does he feel about you?" Her mother wanted to know. Hermione looked down. 

"He cares for me." _He has to, after everything he's done. He just **has** to._ She could see him just a short distance away, not close enough for either of them to hear each other. 

Her father looked down at her, then over to the Malfoys. "Does he love you?" 

Hermione's eyes were drawn back to Draco, and she pulled them away forcibly. "I don't know." She leaned against her mom, who put an arm around her. "I hope he does." _Is this still a sham relationship? Or does he actually care about me?_ She had to do something to get her mind off of this. "Why don't I introduce you to one of my favorite teachers? I think he's down by his hut." 

"He lives in a hut?" 

She nodded at her father. "He's the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, and he teaches Care of Magical Creatures." 

The trip down to Hagrid's hut was fairly short, and as they came up, she was glad to see him seated outside enjoying the sunshine. _Much better than trying to take care of some monster or something. I don't think Mum and Dad would like to see **that**._ "Hagrid, I'd like you to meet my parents." 

"Nice to meet ya!" Hagrid pumped both their arms hard enough to come close to snapping them off. "Hermione's one _great_ witch, gonna be a credit t'Hogwarts!" 

As the half-giant went on and on about all the things she'd done over her years there, Hermione could feel the world start to spin all around her. _This is not good._ She squirmed around to sit on the steps going up to the house, seeing her parents and Hagrid staring down at her. 

"Hermione? Are you all right?" Her father definitely looked worried about her. 

"I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy. Madam Pomfrey said that it's to be expected, because of the situation." 

Mr. Granger nodded slowly; he'd always left magic and magical things up to her since she'd first gotten her letter. "If you say so. I don't like this, though. People having children with people who could kill them… 

"She'll be doin' better when Professor Snape gets that potion made to help her. She'll be right as rain then!" Hagrid joined in. Mrs. Granger looked much less convinced. 

"Are you certain?" 

Hermione nodded, internally wincing as the world danced about her once again. "It's to stop me from losing the baby, and my life. I feel better now. I need you to get back to the school. Ron's parents are going to get you to the Quidditch field, and I need to get ready for the game" 

"Are ya sure that ya should be playing, Hermione? In your condition and all?" Hagrid loomed worriedly over her, and she smiled a bit. 

"I'll be fine. Madam Pomfrey will be nearby at all times in case something happens, which I doubt it will." She grinned widely at the three of them. "See you when the girls beat the boys!" 

Hermione guided her parents to the Great Hall and over to where Ron's family was waiting. Sam was with them, Ramas ever-present on her shoulder, and she could see the twins looking between the two of them as she came closer. "Hey, Hermione!" Fred shouted. "How come you never told us that you were a twin too?" 

"Because I'm not. I'm just a cousin." Hermione reminded them. "Nice to see you all. I'm sure you all remember my parents." There were waves, and the Grangers were almost at once trying to avoid being pumped for more information about being Muggles by Arthur Weasley. 

George shook his head. "That's weird. I don't think I've ever seen any of _my_ cousins look just like us." 

"And we're all grateful for that." Ron muttered, getting thwacked on the head by both his twin brothers at the same time. 

"Good luck today," Fred looked over at Hermione. "Show them what Quidditch is all about!" 

Hermione grinned a little. "I intend to." 

"Are you sure that you should be playing?" Ron asked, his eyes flicking briefly to her midsection. Hermione held back from yanking her wand out and practicing a few hexes. 

"I'm fine! Like I just told Hagrid, Madam Pomfrey's going to be right here in case of anything going wrong, which _isn't_ going to happen." She motioned briefly to the mediwitch, fussing up and down the stands. "See?" 

Sam tugged Ron back over to her, just as Ramas jumped from her shoulder to his and snuggled into his red hair. "Relax, Ron. Hermione knows what she's doing." She looked over at her cousin. "You'd better go get changed." 

As Hermione headed over to the changing area, Ron peered over the ferret's furry body at his girlfriend. "Do you think she's telling the truth?" 

"She looked kind of pale. She'd _better_ be all right, though. It's bad enough that my uncle wants to kill Draco." 

Ron's wince must have been noticed by Fred, since he asked, "What are you two talking about?" That was one thing he missed about Hogwarts, not being in on all the interesting gossip. 

"Draco got Hermione pregnant." Ron muttered absently, then winced as Sam smacked him even harder upside the head. "What??" 

"You weren't supposed to _tell_!" His girlfriend snapped. "Hermione's going to kill you, and I won't stop her!" 

Percy looked a trifle confused at this. "I thought that Hermione was smarter than to take up with him." 

"Things happen," Sam shrugged. "From what I've heard, he's changed somewhat from what he used to be. At least a little." She eyed Ron again, then looked at the group. "Don't tell Hermione that you know." She looked over to where Harry was standing behind his Aunt, green eyes almost closed entirely as Petunia and Snape talked to each other about something or other. "I feel sorry for Harry. Think we should go rescue him?" 

Ron took a look for himself, then nodded. "I think he'd like that. He and Ginny would probably want to spend some time together today, too, I guess." 

The two of them hurried over there, Harry opening his eyes almost as soon as they got there. "Excuse us," Sam smiled sweetly. "But can we steal Harry for a little bit?" 

Petunia waved a careless hand, not even breaking her conversation. The three younger people headed away quite willingly, and Ron looked at his best friend. "Do we even want to know what they're talking about, Harry?" 

"Not really, but I know why he's been a little nicer to Gryffindor the last few months." Harry glanced back over his shoulder and shivered for a moment. 

Ron glanced back as well, noting how close they were. Neither were actually smiling, but there was something, some kind of a spark or something, in between them. "They look _really_ friendly." 

"Don't _say_ that!" 

Before the conversation could go on, the magnified voice of the Headmaster echoed over the grounds. "The time has come for the exhibition Quidditch game! All students, staff, and visitors gather at the Quidditch pitch!" 

In a great deluge of people, witches, wizards, and Muggles, the Quidditch stands were filled. Those of the visitors who had never seen this place before stared about in awe, and their Muggleborn children were reminded of the first time they'd seen this place. 

Hermione stood with the rest of those who made up her team, fidgeting slightly with one hand on her broom. _I really hope nothing **does** go wrong._ For all her brave words, there was still that niggling thread of doubt squirming inside of her. _Then there's that last spell. When is it going to go off?_

"Players!" Madam Hooch called out. "It's time!" 

The two teams flew out, getting into position quickly. Madam Hooch opened the box with the balls, releasing the Bludgers and the Golden Snitch, then tossed the Quaffle into the air. The Keepers got into position, the Chasers headed for the ball, and Quidditch had begun! 

Hermione hovered in front of the goal posts, remembering everything that she and Draco had done to train her for this. She worked harder and harder with every attempted shot, keeping them all from going through the goal posts, until the Seeker for her side swooped down and seized hold of the fluttering Snitch, raising it high for everyone to see. 

Hooch's whistle shrieked throughout the stadium. "The girls' team wins!" 

The whole stadium went absolutely wild, with the winning team hugging each other as they headed for the ground. Hermione looked up to see Draco heading over towards them, both sets of their parents following him, along with Sam. 

"That was incredible!" Her mother hugged her once she came close enough. "I had no idea what kind of a flyer you were!" 

"Thanks." Hermione hugged back. "I've been practicing a lot." She blinked a little as another dizzy spell struck, then smiled as Draco steadied her for a moment. "I think I need to lay down for a bit." 

"Come on." Sam offered her an arm to lean on. "Let's get you back inside." 

Hermione, Sam, and Mrs. Granger headed on inside, Hermione murmuring the password to get into her rooms. Once she was settled on the bed, her mom asked something that had to have been on her mind. "Are you certain you should have been playing? That _was_ fairly active flying." 

"I'm fine, mom. Physically, at least." Hermione glanced at the angle of the sun coming in. "Draco and I made a promise that comes into effect tomorrow night." 

"What?" Her mother looked even more confused now. Hermione tapped the one of her books which had the potion in question in it. 

"We made a true love potion. It shows who your true love is. I saw him, but I have no idea who _he_ saw." She stared down a little. "I don't know if I want to know if it wasn't me." 

Sam shrugged casually. "Why wouldn't it be? It makes sense, you know. He hasn't really looked at anyone else as long as _I've_ been here." 

"I know. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm still scared of losing him." Hermione pulled one of her books over and started to page through it, letting the words sooth her nervousness, or at least try to. 

Her mother leaned closer to her. "If he loves you, then you won't lose him." 

"What if he doesn't?" 

Mrs. Granger shook her head. "Do you think he doesn't? Has he told you that he doesn't?" 

"It's hard to tell. He keeps everything so locked up inside of himself. I think it's mainly because of his father, but I still can't be sure." 

"But what do you think?" Her mother wondered. 

Hermione ran everything through her mind, but the only thing she could come up with was, "I don't know. Everything's happened so fast. I know that I love him, but if he _doesn't_ love me, I can't make him marry me. I _won't_ make him marry me." She looked over at her mother, smiling just a bit. "I can't wait to show you around Hogsmeade tomorrow." 

"What's it like?" Mrs. Granger tried not to show just how nervous she was at that. Hermione chuckled; her parents could still be very leery of magic. 

"It's like Diagon Alley. Don't be so worried, though. Ron's family have gotten you and Harry's aunt a couple of rooms in town. They'll take you there." She twitched a little, then headed for the bathroom as swiftly as she could. 

"I really hope that they get the potion done right," Sam shook her head, hearing what her cousin was going through. Her aunt nodded. 

"But this is normal for pregnancy. It's called morning sickness." 

"But it's not morning." Sam pointed out. Mrs. Granger chuckled in amusement. 

"It happens morning, noon, and night." They both looked up as Hermione came back in. "All better?" The older woman asked. Hermione nodded, yawning impressively. 

"I think I'm going to nap for a while." 

Her mother nodded again approvingly. "Good idea. You're overexcited." She hugged Hermione gently. "Get a lot of rest." 

Hermione chuckled a bit. "I will." She shot a look over at Sam, asking with her eyes if she would make certain to show her mother around Hogwarts while she herself napped. Sam nodded lightly, then guided her aunt out of there. They closed the door on the sleeping Hermione and headed out into the school. 

**To Be Continued**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

_Hermione stared up at the robed wizards circling her slowly. The ropes that held her down had to have been enchanted somehow, but she couldn't think of anything that would break the spell. Where was her wand? She needed it, but it wasn't there. It had always been here. _

She had to stop babbling mentally. Had they used the Confundus Charm? It had to have been something like that; it made the most sense of any of this. Where was Draco? Had they done something worse to him? 

Hermione did her best to catch the eye of the one of the wizards she thought was their leader. Whoever they were, they weren't Death Eaters, since she'd never seen one of them without the identifying robes and masks. "What do you want?" She fought to keep fear out of her voice, but it wasn't an easy task. 

"Shut up." Two flat words, that was all that he said. Hermione stared at him, then shook her head as violently as she could. 

"No! Let me go!" Her tirade was interrupted by a harsh smack across her face. She glared at the stranger, yanking at the restraints that held her down with what strength she had left. She could escape from this; she'd gotten out of much worse situations than **this**! She took several deep breaths, doing her best to get herself under control. The only way to get out of this was to be calm. She had to be able to think, to see what was around here that she could use. 

There wasn't much, once she was able to get a quick glimpse. She and her captors were the only living creatures she could see. There weren't even any spiders or spiderwebs here. There was a thick wooden door, with an iron bar holding it closed, and a few flickering torches places in brackets around the room. She caught a glimpse of the leader moving his arm, then saw the torchlight reflecting off of metal for a moment. 

**A knife? No, it's not big enough.** Then she saw what it was: a viciously made whip, the business end of it divided into several tips that had been coated in some metal. She had no doubts it would be painful when it bit into her, either. 

She was proven very violently right as the leader began to whip her, a cold echoing laughter filling her ears as he did so. The young witch squirmed and screamed in pain, unable to get away no matter how hard she tried. Tears forced themselves from her eyes, hot and heavy and painful as she whispered, "What do you want?" He had to want some kind of price for stopping, and she couldn't think of one that she wouldn't pay right now. 

"Revenge!" The single word hissed across the room. "Revenge, Mudblood. That's all I want. That's all I'm **getting**." The whip ripped into her again, his arm working tirelessly as he beat her. All sense of time faded, replaced by pain. 

Another voice slowly crept into her awareness, saying something. It took her a few moments to realize just what he'd said, and if it were possible, she would have went pale at the very thought of Draco seeing her like this. 

A meaty hand took a firm grip on her shoulder and yanked her forward. Her head swam, the room dancing and twirling around her for a few heartbeats, then another voice rang in her ears. "Listen to me, Mudblood. If you even **try** to leave, your boyfriend will pay the price...slowly." Hermione wasn't in the best of shape, but she would have had to be dead to miss the sheer sick pleasure in the leader's tone at the thought of killing Draco. "And if you don't do what we say," the wizard continued, "it will be ten times worse than that for **him**. 

The trip back to the cell wasn't one she would have cared to repeated, since they took absolutely no precautions against aggravating her injuries. A strong metallic scent in the air told her that she was bleeding again, and as they turned a corner, she caught sight of a long smear of red that could only be her own blood. There wasn't enough time to be certain with more than a passing glance, however, as they flung her through the open cell door roughly. 

She slammed into the far wall, managing to hit it with her shoulder instead of her head, and lay there as the door was slammed behind her. **Have to...get up...** As strong as her determination was, her legs weren't quite up to the challenge so soon. She could just see a glimpse of Draco's white hair in the nearly pitch black room, but that was enough to encourage her. 

There had to be a way to get up. Her legs still shook and trembled like rubber, and if she even tried to stand alone, she knew she'd be back on the floor in seconds. She leaned against the chilly stone wall, gulping in huge lungfuls of the fetid dungeon air. Her lungs and stomach both protested at this, but she needed to breathe more than anything. 

As more oxygen flowed into her and her mind began to clear from the miasma of pain, Hermione's brain started to work again. She glanced down to the hand resting against the wall, something clicking deep inside of her. She started to lever herself up against the wall, balancing as carefully as she could until she was on her feet once more. 

One cautious step, then another, and another, and she was too far from the wall for it to support her even with her hands held out. Her legs trembled, and she found herself pitching forward. Luck seemed to be with her, and she landed right on the cot Draco was on. 

"You have to get out of here," she whispered, finding his ear conveniently close. "They have plans..." She could see the restraints binding him near her, and she started to carefully work them open. "You have to go." 

"No." Draco's answer was just like him, curt and crisp, and just what she didn't want to hear. 

She did her best to ignore it, picking at the bonds until they finally came undone. It took much longer than it should have, since her bleeding wounds had crusted over by now, but had taken a lot of her strength with them. **I won't let them hurt him. I won't.**

As the last of the restraints fell away, he tugged her a bit closer, whispering her nickname under his breath as he did. She wanted to scream in agony at his touch, but the strength required was just something she didn't have. **That hurts...** was the best she could think to herself. She barely grasped that he wanted her to get out, and shook her head firmly in denial. **I won't let them hurt him. I can't leave, no matter what. I can't...can't...can't...**

Hermione sat up, sweat dripping from her forehead as she tried to figure out just where she was. _A dream? It was a dream? I wasn't there again._ A quick look around showed her that she was in her familiar quarters at Hogwarts, not in that prison. _That's been over with for months. Why should I be dreaming about it **now**?_

The answer came quickly and simply: the last spell had struck. _Every night, until I deal with it._ She wiped off her brow, noting the thick coating of sweat both on it and the way it had drenched her pillow already. _I am **not** looking forward to that._

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, turning her pillow over by feel and laying back down. No time like the present to get started on that. 

Narcissa Malfoy entered the bedroom to a sight she hadn't seen in years: Lucius sitting straight up, pale and wan, hands clutching at the bedclothes, and sweat sparkling in the candlelight. "Lucius? Are you all right?" 

"Just a nightmare." She could hear a quiver in his voice that spelled out the untruth as easily as an Honesty Hex could, but didn't press. His pride wouldn't let him admit that he was bothered by it more than he already had. "It was rather vivid." 

She nodded a bit. "Was it the one about being in front of the Ministry of Magic and all you have on are Muggle underclothes?" 

Lucius shuddered violently. "This was worse." That was unusual. He'd always said that the underclothing dream could never be unseated from its position as his worst nightmare. But as he began to describe what had happened, she grew just as pale and shaking as he was. 

"That's horrible." The description seemed familiar somehow, then she knew what it was. "Isn't this was Draco said the last time release spell was? For Hermione to relive those events until she recovered from them?" 

Lucius nodded slightly. "I believe so." 

"I had thought it was only supposed to affect her," Narcissa ran through what she knew of magic, and couldn't think of anything at the moment that would account for it. "Perhaps the baby caused it to bounce to you for some reason?" 

"I can't imagine why." Lucius looked into the flickering flames of the fireplace near them. "Nor can I imagine a less savoury fate than having to relive the Mudblood's session until she somehow manages to deal with it. Even for a full grown witch or wizard, that could take years, and she's just a Mudblood." 

Narcissa smacked him on the shoulder sharply. "I thought I told you not to use language like that." He didn't respond and she shook her head. "We'll have to discuss this with Dumbledore tomorrow. Now, let's try to get some sleep." She had a few ways that should keep all kinds of dreams away from him, and it was interesting to play with them all. 

Hermione sat back up, her heart racing swifter than the latest racing broom. _Again. Again._ She wiped off the fear-sweat and slowly slid out of her bed, heading for the window. _Twice in one night, and it gets worse every time._

She stared out of the window, preternaturally aware of just how quiet it really was. _I think I have to do this. We have to spend some time apart. I need my space for this. There's nothing else I can do._

"Miss Granger?" She turned to see Professor McGonnagal standing there, a faintly worried look in her eyes, which seemed kinder than usual. The Transfiguration teacher definitely seemed to have a soft spot for what they were going through. "It's rather late. What are you doing awake?" 

"I just had a bad dream." Hermione slid back to bed and closed her eyes. _Twice over. And twice the nightmare because it was true._ She wanted to tell the professor that the final time release spell had hit, but the words seemed to seal themselves behind her lips. She closed her eyes, feeling McGonnagal tucking in the blankets around her before heading out the door. _I don't want to go to sleep. I don't want to deal with this anymore._

Unfortunately, that sort of decision wasn't hers to make. She fell into a fitful doze, the dream-memories dancing around in her head over and over and over, and none of it got any better no matter how long it went on. 

Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions _meant_ robes for all occasions. Hermione could hardly believe her eyes as she saw the vast array of things for sale. The inventory went far beyond the usual school robes she was used to seeing. _I should be able to find something to cover up this pregnancy once it gets far enough along. **If** it gets far enough along._

She glanced briefly over to where her mother and Sam were looking through various rainbow colored robes and shook her head. Her mother looked so completely out of her depth, while Sam was looking through everything with a practiced eye. _She might turn out to be a wizarding fashion designer. They could use something new in the way of robes, anyway._

She brushed through a few more piles of fabric, trying to look as if she were really as concerned as she wanted to be. _Mom was saying some really strange things earlier. If I didn't know any better I'd say she was talking about my dreams. But there's no way she could know._ Her mother was a Muggle, sad as it was. If she'd been a witch, Hermione _might_ have believed they could have some sort of connection that would've enabled her to see what had been going on in her own head the previous night, but since that wasn't so... 

A flash of silver caught her eye, and she looked to see the Malfoys across the street. _I wonder if Draco's seen anything in **his** dreams._

"Hermione?" At her mother's voice she pulled her gaze away from her boyfriend and smiled a bit, hoping it looked more reassuring than it felt. "Are you certain you're all right?" 

"I'm fine." She glanced over to Sam, who was still pulling her way through a half-tonne of robes, and grinned slightly. "Is she planning on buying out the store?" 

Sam glanced back at her and rolled her eyes, then tugged a rather attractive pale violet set of dress robes out to examine against herself. As her cousin headed over to pay for them, Hermione looked back towards where Draco and his parents had been, only to see they were gone now. _Great. Just when I need to talk to him._

"All right, I'm done," Sam came over with the wrapped up robes under one arm. "Let's get out of here." 

Hermione nodded. "Where would you like to see now?" 

"Surprise me." Sam suggested, a mischievous gleam to her eyes. Hermione shook her head; this was amusing. 

"Mom? Dad? What do you think?" 

Her mother considered for a few moments, looking at the strange shops in every direction. "I'm not sure. I don't know about all these magical places...but why not that place where you bought your cat?" 

"I bought Crookshanks at Diagon Alley," Hermione corrected absently. Her mother had never been that much of a cat person, but she'd accepted the squash-faced orange creature her daughter loved so very much. "But there's a pet store here. Pretty nice one, too, and I could get some things for Crookshanks." He'd been such a good cat lately, bringing in all kinds of things she could use for various potions and things. She wondered just how intelligent he really was all over again, then started down towards the store. 

Familiar Enchantments looked just as it always had, those few times she'd come in here. Cats, owls, toads, rats, rabbits, and several other things were everywhere, in luxurious accommodations that dwarfed most of what Hogwarts' students provided their animal companions. 

"Oh, cool!" Sam raced over to a wall of animal treats and started poking around. "I hope they have something for ferrets! Ramas needs a treat!" 

Hermione stared at her cousin in disbelief. "A treat? For what? _Not_ poking his head into everything in sight?" 

"He's not that bad!" Sam protested. "Just because he decided he wanted to eat with the teachers last week..." 

The Head Girl shook her head slowly. "Sam, he wound up getting the whole school's attention when he poked his head out of the _Headmaster's_ beard! That is not a sane ferret!" 

"There are no such things." Sam told her solemnly. Hermione thought of Draco's Animagus form and decided it would probably be wiser to be quiet for right now. Sam snickered before turning back to the row of treats and searching for something that would fit her not very finicky pet. 

Hermione's parents kept themselves busy with looking at the more normal pets, and once both seventh years had the treats they wanted for their pets, Hermione suggested, "Why don't we head over to the Three Broomsticks?" Her choice had nothing to do with having just seen the Malfoys enter it, of course. 

The group settled in quickly, and Hermione tried hard not to notice her boyfriend, who looked fairly bored about whatever it was his parents were talking about, to the point he had to cover a yawn. She smiled just a little; he looked so cute like that. Not that she'd tell him about that, though. 

Madame Rosmerta took their orders quickly and as she bustled away, Hermione felt the world spinning around her. She put her head down in her hands, trembling somewhat. _This isn't good. I should let Madame Pomfrey know._

"Hermione?" Hermione didn't bother looking, but she knew it was Sam. "What's wrong with you?" Hermione looked up just a little bit, a small smile making it's way onto her lips. 

"I'm just a little dizzy, that's all." She put her head right back down. Moving it had been a very nasty mistake. Darkness closed in around her as she shut her eyes and did her best to remain quiet and still. 

The world outside of her closed eyes wasn't done with her yet, however. "'mione?" Draco's familiar voice asked. "Would you like to go for a walk? It might help you feel better." 

"We're getting ready for lunch." She reminded him, able to easily imagine the look of disappointment in his gray eyes. 

"Later, then?" 

"Maybe." She could hear him walking away, and kept her eyes closed. She needed to rest. Maybe coming out hadn't been such a good idea after all. 

Robes rustled briskly, and the strong scent of all the things that they'd ordered touched her nostrils. Madame Rosmerta had returned with the food. Hermione opened her eyes, and as the sight of it sank in, her stomach started to bounce and churn nauseously. _This was **really** a bad idea._

"You're supposed to eat it all," Sam reminded her as she pushed her half-full plate away. Hermione shook her head, refusing to stare at the remains any longer. 

"I can't. I really can't." Without waiting for a response, she got up and headed outside. She could hear Sam wondering if it was something she'd said, and her mother reassuring her that it was just a side effect of pregnancy, emotional upheavals. _I wish that's **all** it was._

Hermione found a bench not that far from the Three Broomsticks and sat down, her head in her hands. _I want to go back to Hogwarts, but I'm not going to ruin this trip for Mum and Dad. It's not like they can get into **my** world that often. They can't really buy that much they can take home, Ministry of Magic law prevents it, but I just won't ruin this._

"Hermione?" It was Sam again. Hermione gave up inside; she had to go back no matter what. She could also hear another set of footsteps, ones that were almost as familiar as Sam's: Draco's. 

"I'm getting really dizzy." She murmured softly. "I can't stay out here, Sam. I'm sorry. I know Mum and Dad wanted to see a lot more..." 

Her cousin touched her shoulder lightly, and she could feel Ramas scrambling onto her, working his way under her hair and nuzzling her chin a little. "It's all right, Hermione. You need to get back to Hogwarts." 

"We'll take her back there," Draco came to a stop by them. "You let her parents know, and I'll keep an eye on her until you get back here." 

Sam eyed the Slytherin briefly, then nodded and hurried back to the Grangers. Hermione made her way to her feet, steadying Ramas carefully as she did so, and felt Draco's arm slip around her as she did. "Is it the baby?" He asked quietly. "Is that why you're so dizzy?" 

She nodded lightly. It was at least part of the reason. _The rest of it being that I need some **sleep**._ She wanted to talk to him about breaking up for a while, but the words lay locked behind her lips, unable to be said right now. She took a few more steps, then simply collapsed in a small heap at his feet, out like the proverbial light. 

Draco quickly gathered her up into his arms, checking her pulse out of reflex. _This has to be more than just the pregnancy. I don't know what, but I'm going to find out._ He heard the crunch of wheels on gravel, and looked over to see one of the carriages that would take them back to Hogwarts there. _Perfect timing._

His parents were already in it, and said nothing at all as he carried Hermione into it. Draco eyed his father nervously, but Lucius said nothing as the door closed and they started through the streets. _Father's been acting a bit oddly as well. As if there were something on his mind he didn't expect to have on it._ With Lucius' well ordered mind and life, that really was something that didn't happen too often. 

Narcissa leaned over to tuck a blanket around Hermione as they travelled, and smiled reassuringly at her son. "She'll be all right, Draco, I know she will be. I was, after all." 

He just nodded, stroking Hermione's hair a little as they journeyed. He glanced up for a moment, feeling eyes on him, and saw Lucius staring down at them. In those pale eyes, the mirror of his own, he saw something he never had before when they were directed at his girlfriend: surprise. _I wonder what's wrong._

"Father, is something wrong? You look a little distracted." That was a complete lie, but there was just no other way to ask what he needed to. 

Lucius just shook his head. "No, son. It's nothing." He paused briefly, once more looking at Hermione, and almost seemed ready to ask something of his own. Whatever it was remained unsaid as they pulled to a stop outside of Hogwarts itself, however, and Draco carried Hermione out of the carriage. 

Professor Snape was there as he stepped out, and motioned him along brusquely. "Madam Pomfrey is waiting for us." Snape never wasted words, unless he was pointing out to Potter and other moronic Gryffindors just how horrible they were at everything. The group hurried up there, Snape's robes billowing along in their familiar hurried way. Something about that comforted Draco. With the Potions Master there, could anything _really_ go wrong? 

As soon as she was deposited in the usual bed, Snape placed a small curving bottle by the bed, then pulled back, his eyes impassive and watching. Hermione started stirring almost as soon as she was laid down there, her eyes opening to reveal a slightly confused look. 

Draco showed the intelligence that had made him Head Boy just then. "You're awake!" 

"Obviously." Hermione rolled her eyes ever so slightly and started to look around. Her look was interrupted by Snape's clipped tones. 

"We have the potion ready." He told her, motioning to where it was beside her. "Drink it down, and it _should_ keep you both alive. Or kill you." 

Hermione stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he were serious, then picked up the potion. Dumbledore wouldn't let him give her something that was potentially fatal, and she trusted the Headmaster. _And I trust him, too._ "How did you come up with it so fast?" 

"I didn't." Snape stared down his hooked nose at her. "Though it's truly not your concern, I have been working on that for nearly twenty years. It just so happens I _finished_ it when you needed it, silly girl." 

She wanted to say something to him about that, but as her stomach and the room both chose to dance around in a duet of nausea and dizziness, she decided it would be better just to shut up and drink. _Besides, it'll be more impressive if I can snap back at him without throwing up what I have in my stomach._ Once she unstoppered the potion, a rank odor invaded her nostrils, and she could almost feel herself turning the most unattractive shade of green possible. There was only one way to deal with this. She closed her eyes and drank the mixture down in one gulp. 

Once it was inside of her, Hermione felt something shifting and changing, as if she'd been out of balance somehow, and now was being put back _in_ balance. A heavy yawn caught her in mid-thought and she realized just how completely exhausted she really was. And hungry. Very hungry. 

"Feeling better?" Draco wondered, peering more closely at her. She nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. He was so cute when he was concerned about her. And once again, she wouldn't tell anyone about it. 

"Yeah. I just need to rest. And I want to eat when I wake up." She closed her eyes, curling up on the very comfortable bed, and was sound asleep in five heartbeats, not hearing any of the arguments that ensued as Pomfrey tried to get everyone out so she could sleep in the peace she already had. 

**To Be Continued**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Draco stalked his way into the Slytherin common room, the perfect Malfoy scowl back on his face where it hadn't been in months. _Something's up with her. I think she's going to try and dump me. How **could** she?_

"Draco?" He ignored his parents, staring into the fire intently. "Draco, something is troubling you and I want to know what it is." His mother could be quite insistent. 

"Nothing." So could he. 

His mother shook her head ever so slightly, the light glinting off of it as she did so. "How is Hermione, dear?" 

"She's resting." His answers were short and clipped, just like he was feeling at the moment. 

"What else is wrong, Draco?" Narcissa moved closer, touching his hand. "You can tell me." 

This was almost starting to sound like one of those bad Muggle entertainment things that he'd heard of from Hermione. _I'm going to have to tell them something, or they're going to be after me until I do. It wouldn't be the first time._ "I just have a bad feeling about tonight. She seemed so distant." 

His mother nodded a little, seeming to accept it, but his father moved a bit closer. "Draco, I have been wondering. Have you had any unusual dreams lately?" 

_Huh? Why'd he ask that? What's that got to do with anything?_ Draco wasn't entirely certain if the question bothered him because of it's irrelevancy or because of the fact he could only answer in the affirmative. "I've been dreaming about what happened when we were captured, only it was from _her_ point of view." He shivered, trying to expunge the memories. The dream had been vivid to the point he had actually _felt_ the whip cutting into Hermione's body as if it were lashing into him. "Why do you ask?" 

Lucius didn't answer right away, then he said only a few words. "You're not the only one." 

Draco wrenched himself around to stare at him. "You too?" His father nodded slightly, and Draco leaped to his feet. "I have to find out if she did too!" He ignored the looks his parents were sending each other as he raced out of the common room and back towards the Hospital Wing. 

_This could be the last of the time release spells, but what's it doing affecting Father and I if it is?_ That made no logical sense, as far as he knew. He'd have to talk it over with her, preferably as soon as possible. 

He slid to a stop in front of Madam Pomfrey, who was just coming out of the Hospital wing, and stared at her. "I need to talk to Hermione. It's important!" 

"She's asleep." The mediwitch told him firmly. "She needs her rest, Mr. Malfoy." 

Draco shook his head; why was someone _always_ getting in his way when he needed something? He was a _Malfoy_! "I _reallly_ need to talk to her!" 

"She's asleep. It can wait until morning." Madam Pomfrey told him. "There's certainly nothing _that_ important you must discuss." 

Draco blinked a little; how tired **had** she been? "She's not going to the ball tonight?" It was the last event to wrap up the parents' weekend, a dance for everyone, and he'd been hoping she would go with him. He hadn't actually _asked_ her yet, but... 

"It depends on if she's awake or not." 

"I'm awake." They both turned to see Hermione sitting up in bed, looking towards them. Draco pushed past the nurse to come stand beside his girlfriend. 

"Hermione, I need to know something. Have you been dreaming about what happened when we were being held prisoner?" She nodded a little, seeming to want to say something else, but didn't. Draco moved a bit closer to her. "So has my father. And so have I." 

Her head snapped up in surprise. "So has my mother." There was no way to avoid the truth _now_. "Does the Headmaster know that you're seeing the dreams as well?" 

"I haven't told him." 

"You might want to." Hermione's lips twitched ever so slightly. "He just walked in." 

Draco turned his head to see Albus Dumbledore standing at the doorway, the usual infuriating calm quirk to his lips. "Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy. How nice to see you. I trust you are feeling better?" 

"I am, thank you." Hermione nodded slightly, but didn't get out of bed. Draco was almost certain she was still a little dizzy and just didn't want to admit it right now. He caught her shooting a look at him, and rolled his eyes mentally, knowing what she meant. 

"Headmaster, the last of the time released spells seems to have affected her mother, my father, and both of us," he told the old wizard, "and that's not what was supposed to happen. I don't suppose _you_ know why?" His slightly acidic tone seemed to have no effect whatsoever on Dumbledore, and he found himself wanting to hit that annoyingly happy face over and over. It was definitely time for a few sessions with the Dumbledore Dartboard he'd gotten for his sixteenth birthday. 

"The most likely possibility is that the child protected Hermione in some fashion. Gestating veelas have some degree of power, just as wizards do, and extend some protection to their mother. However, because the child isn't capable of choosing just what to do, the spell wasn't so much deflected as it was...shared." Dumbledore suggested, his gaze going briefly to Hermione. "I believe once you, yourself, deal with the memories of that night, the spell will break for everyone. The potion Severus made will enable both of you to survive, though you will, of course, have to take it every day until the child is born." He glanced from one of them to the other. "Perhaps you both should get ready for tonight's festivities." 

Hermione nodded, then started to get out of bed, holding onto the head of it for a few moments to gain her balance. She adjusted her robes a little, glad Madam Pomfrey hadn't bothered to change her into a nightgown just yet, and looked over at Draco, who was looking back with a worried tinge in his gaze. 

"Can I walk you to your house?" He wondered. She nodded slightly, and the crease between his eyebrows deepened. "Are you feeling all right?" 

"Yes, I'm fine." She said nothing else as they walked out of the hospital area and through the shifting hallways and stairs. Draco watched her out of the corner of his eye, trying to figure out just how to ask something very important. 

They were just a short way from the Fat Lady portrait when he decided to just do it. "There's something I want to ask you. It has nothing to do with what your father said, but I had to wait until I had something from my grandparents before I said anything." 

He pulled a small box from the depths of his robes and held it out to her, top open to reveal a glistening ring. "Will you marry me, 'mione? Start a family with me, and be with me forever?" She said nothing at all, just looking at him quietly. "Hermione?" 

"I don't think now is the right time for this." She said at last, her voice serious and firm. "I think we should spend some time apart." 

"Oh." Draco had absolutely not one clue on how to think or feel at this moment. "I see." Without another word, he turned and walked away, heading back to the Slytherin dungeons with all of his dignity wrapped around him like a protective cloak. _She made me look like a fool. I wouldn't be surprised if Potter and Weasley were there under that cloak of his, laughing about me._

A snapped word opened up the dungeons to him and he flowed inside as if he were animated ice water. He could tell his fellow Slytherins were staring at him, the younger ones openly, the elder ones covertly from behind whatever they could use to cover themselves. It didn't matter to him. He slammed his door shut and threw himself petulantly onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. 

"Draco?" Pansy knocked on his door sharply. "Draco, are you ready to go? The ball's about to start." 

"Get lost." He had paid no attention to the passing of time. It wasn't worth bothering over. "I'm not going." 

He could easily envision her confused expression. "Why not? You were talking about asking the Mudblood last week." 

"I said that I'm not going. It's none of your damn business why I'm not going, so _get lost_, or you're not going to make it yourself. It's a little hard to dance with your feet growing out of your head, you know." 

Pansy left. 

"I hear Draco isn't coming tonight," Sam peered around the corner of the door to look at her cousin, who looked back at her with confused eyes. "I overheard Pansy Parkinson talking on the way up. Draco's not coming to the ball tonight. He seems to be in a _really_ bad mood from what she said. Any idea what happened?" 

"He asked me to marry him." Hermione turned away. "I told him no. We need to spend some time apart. And it's just not the right time." 

Sam stared at her, not believing a word of what she'd just heard. "He honestly asked you to marry him?" Hermione nodded. "And you turned him _down_? No wonder he's in that kind of a mood! How is it _not_ the right time?" 

"It just isn't." 

"That doesn't make any sense, Hermione." Sam very rarely used the full version of her cousin's name, but this was serious. "He's not asking you to run off and marry him right now you know." 

The British witch turned slightly, and Sam could see her more clearly now. Her eyes were red and puffy, and tearstains spotted her robe lightly. "Just trust me?" 

Sam said nothing at all for a few moments, then nodded. "All right. I just hope you don't lose him." She shook her head a little in disbelief. "Believe me, that's not a good feeling." 

"I know. I hope I don't either." 

The freshly-blonde witch nodded once more. "You might want to think about it, though. From the way Pansy was talking, you may have." She headed out quietly, closing the door behind her as she did so. _I have to talk to **someone** about this. Before I go back in there and start screaming at Hermione to stop being such a stubborn...**witch**!_

It seemed fate was conspiring with Sam just then, because as she stepped into the common room, the first two people she saw were Ron and Harry. _Perfect. Just perfect._ "Hey, guys, got a few minutes? We need to talk, in private." 

All the other myriad of Gryffindors inched away from the corner where the three of them settled in to talk, but no one came close enough to listen. Sam wasn't fooled, though. They were all keeping an eye out on what was going on. Gryffindors were brave, but they also loved a good gossip. 

She looked at her boyfriend and his best friend, then spoke two simple words. "Draco proposed." Both of them stared back at her as if she'd suddenly started to speak in Esperanto or something of that nature. It got only worse when she kept on talking. "She turned him down. All she would tell me was that it wasn't the right time." She glanced briefly back to the staircase that led to Hermione's room and tried not to think too much about strangling her cousin. "They both deserve to be happy, and I don't really want them losing each other." 

Harry nodded. "I know what you mean." He couldn't really grasp caring so much about anyone but Ginny like that, and Hermione seemed to love Malfoy just as much. 

The same thoughts must have been running through Ron's mind, since he said, "I may not like Malfoy, but Hermione is honestly happier with him." As soon as the words left his mouth, he looked as if he'd just swallowed about a half a dozen lemons. Based on what she'd heard of Draco in their earlier years, Sam could easily understand why. Before he could add anything, he jerked a little to the side, staring at the staircases. 

"Hermione." The three turned to see her coming towards them, looking a little more composed than she had just a short time earlier. She was also in the best dress robes she had, her hair tidied and styled beautifully. Ron fidgeted a little as she came closer and once she was in earshot, "Hey, Sam told us about what happened. Are you sure you know what you're doing?" She nodded quietly, and he nodded back at her. "All right. If you're sure." 

The dark-haired witch pulled up a chair and sighed. "Actually, no, I'm not sure. I feel like I need time away from him." She stared down at her hands as if not quite certain what to do with them. "He's hovering. _Everyone_ is hovering." 

Confusion reigned on Ron's face. "Because we care about you, Hermione!" 

"I know. But I haven't had any time to myself in so long." Tear after tear slipped silently from her eyes, and she didn't bother wiping them away. Ron shook his head and got up. 

"I'll talk to him, Hermione. I'll make sure he understands." He hugged her gently as she sobbed more, the others moving in to wrap their arms around her as comfortingly as they could. Friendship did overrule everything, after all. 

Draco stared out at the ballroom, exuding an aura of _come near me and suffer something so horrible **Avada Kedavra** will be an improvement!_

"Why did Father have to make me do this?" He grumbled under his breath, not caring he sounded more like a seven year old than a seventeen year old. He didn't _want_ to come so he shouldn't have had to! He didn't even have a proper date! 

A familiar set of dress robes going by, with a very familiar person inside of them, caught his attention, and he watched as Hermione stepped out onto a magically added balcony that would probably be gone in the morning and stared up at the stars. _She doesn't look very happy. And I don't care._ Or at least he attempted to tell himself that. 

As she came back inside and headed over to her parents, Draco wandered casually in that direction, listening. 

"How are you feeling?" Mrs. Granger wondered. Hermione shrugged a little. 

"Better. Profess Snape finished the potion, so I'm physically fine." Draco caught the qualification, but didn't say anything about it. Noting her start to look towards him, he did a quick about face and headed out to the balcony himself. Lovely view of the stars there. Maybe he could pick up a quick bout of studying for Astronemy class. He could still hear her, though. "I'm sorry for being so moody and ruining your trip here." 

"It's to be expected." was the last thing Draco heard before he stepped out onto the balcony proper and started inspecting the sky for wear and tear. He didn't stop until he heard his name being called from behind him, by Hermione. 

"What is it, Granger?" 

He didn't look, but her tone was very upset. "So we're back to calling each other by our last names, then?" He said nothing, just stared out some more. "Sorry. I just wanted to explain my reasoning, but I guess you don't want to hear it." 

Draco kept on staring at the stars as she walked away, watching their cold shimmer, and wishing he were like them. They didn't care. They were just stars. 

As much as he wanted to, however, he couldn't hide what was going on around him, and as he stared, something he would have never thought to see unfolded beneath him. His father was striding out to where Hermione was seated outside. 

Hermione dropped down onto a bench on the grounds, buried her face in her hands, and sobbed uncontrollably. _I know I hurt him, but why won't he just listen?_ She hated crying like this; she felt so _girly_ leaking at the eyes. She dabbed the tears away as best she could at last, and was about to get up when a hand landed on her shoulder. 

"Do you have a moment?" Lucius Malfoy asked, looking so much like Draco that all she could do was nod. "Has Draco mentioned the dreams?" 

"Yes." Hermione nodded. "He said that you, he, and my mother were also having them." 

The elder Malfoy nodded slightly. "Is that what actually happened? What you felt? Thought?" Hermione nodded, flinching slightly at the mere thought of him seeing what had been going through her mind then. 

"I don't know why you're all seeing them. I'd stop it if I could." She told him. "I don't even know _how_ to stop them for myself. Getting over them sounds easy but it isn't." She looked away, catching sight of Draco's eyes on them from the balcony above. _I didn't know we were this close. As long as he doesn't say anything..._ "We've told the Headmaster about them. I'm certain he'll find some way for you all not to see them any longer." 

Lucius made a slight wordless noise, then pinned her suddenly with his clear gray gaze. "What is going on between you and Draco?" 

She was taken by surprise too much to say anything but the utter truth. "At the moment, nothing. He asked me to marry him, but I told him that it wasn't a good time to ask me." She broke his gaze and stared at a tall set of trees intently. "I need some time to think, to be away from everyone. He won't let me explain that, though." 

There was a sound that would've been a laugh if it had come from anyone but him. "Malfoys have a temper." 

"Obviously." Hermione returned dryly. "I love your son." 

Silence for a few moments, then words that seemed to be wrung reluctantly out of him. "I'm certain he feels the same way about you." 

Hermione looked back at him, one eyebrow raised. "So, you approve of us being together?" 

"You are...not quite as objectionable to me as you once were. I do not like you, Miss Granger." Lucius stared down at her darkly. "But Draco has made his choice, and I will simply live with it." 

_That's probably as close to acceptance as I can **get** from him,_ Hermione really hadn't ever expected that much to start with. As he walked away, she glanced back up at the balcony, to see Draco gone from there. _I might love him...but I don't think I'll **understand** Malfoys._

She started back inside, feeling a little better than before, and ready to have some more fun. 

**To Be Continued**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three  
by: Cynthia & Emerald J**

Hermione entered the ballroom after she'd touched up her make up a little, trying not to pay too much attention to anyone from Slytherin. Draco was somewhere there, she knew it, just not exactly where. 

She did everything she could to keep her mind off of him for the moment, and off of his father. What Lucius had said kept echoing around in her mind, and she wanted to think about it: just not right now. She danced with her father and with all the available Weasley males who would dance with her, and avoided anyone and everyone else. 

"So, you're dating Cho Chang now?" Hermione talked to George as the two of them danced around the ballroom. He nodded, a sparkle of love in his eyes at the mere mention of her. 

"I wish she could've made it here, but she had to make an emergency trip to London for a meeting." George shrugged a little. "But I'll see her again soon." 

"Excuse me." They both turned to see a familiar blonde head there. "May I cut in?" 

George and Hermione looked at each other, then George stepped back as his current dancing partner nodded. Draco took hold of Hermione's hands and the two of them began to dance together. It was quiet for several moments, until Hermione asked tentatively, "How are you?" 

"All right." 

She winced slightly at the terseness of the words, but kept on. "I'd heard you weren't coming tonight. So why did you?" 

"My father can be very persuasive when he wants to be." There was a definite flicker of distaste in Draco's eyes, and she was reminded of what he'd said back at the Manor. She didn't really think Lucius _abused_ Draco, but fatherly firmness might well be taken a few steps too far at times. 

"He's also full of surprises." She told him of what had transpired outside. Her suspicion that he'd overheard them was confirmed, as he didn't seem surprised at all by anything she said. Since things were going so well, she decided to try something else. "Can I explain something to you?" 

Draco danced quietly for a few more moments, then nodded quickly. "But make it fast. I have to dance with my mother soon, or she'll be owling me for weeks about _not_ doing it." 

The two of them headed outside, sitting on the same bench Hermione had been on before. "I do want to be with you. I just need a little time to myself first. I care a lot about you. Probably more than I should, but I do." 

He nodded slowly, letting it all sink in, then, "I care about you, too, Hermione." He looked away, watching the stars for a few moments, then looked back. "Who did you see in the potion?" 

"You." She looked him right in the eyes, letting not one hint of doubt appear. A small smile curved his lips. 

"I saw you." He was just as honest as she was in this. The two of them stared into each other's eyes, then leaned closer, lips brushing softly and warmly. 

When they pulled apart, Hermione murmured, "I need time away from this. Will you give it to me?" She watched as he thought it over, or at least she hoped that's what he was doing, then he nodded. 

"I don't quite understand why, and I really don't _want_ to," Draco said before she could tell him how happy she was. "But we probably both should think this over a lot, and be sure." A very twisted grin appeared on his face. "This isn't exactly your usual romance, you know." 

"I noticed." She chuckled a little as she dropped a kiss on his nose. "I love you. Let's go enjoy the rest of the ball." 

Hand in hand, the two of them headed back inside, separating once they got there. Hermione saw her parents still chatting with the Weasleys, and various sets of Weasley eyes shot over towards her once she showed up. Her mother looked up at the same time, and smiled a little as she saw Draco not too far from her. 

"Is everything all right now?" The older woman asked. Hermione nodded, a warm light visible in her eyes. "Good. You look happier, too." 

Fred shook his head in disbelief. "I still can't believe you two are dating!" That seemed to be the usual Weasley response. 

"It's certainly something _I_ wouldn't have expected." Percy put in. Hermione shrugged. 

"Not many did, but we're happy." That was what really counted in the long run...well, one of the things. 

Ron grinned at her. "You're probably the only one who _could_ have gotten him, Hermione." He snickered softly as she turned bright red and swatted his arm hard. 

"Well, I don't know about that, Ron. But I'm glad I did it anyway. I really love him." Her eyes sparkled at him sharply. "And admit it, it wasn't me you saw!" 

The redhead groaned, closing his eyes and posing dramatically with one hand over his forehead. "Fine, fine, it wasn't. But how was _I_ supposed to know that? Even when you showed me that picture, it still looked like you! Besides, it didn't move! How was I supposed to know it was two different people?" 

Hermione smacked him again. "You could've just asked who I thought you saw, you know." 

"Hey, I never claimed to be as smart as you are!" 

Sam squeezed him from the other side, grinning widely. "But you're so _cute_ it doesn't matter!" 

"Just don't screw _this_ one up, Ron!" Hermione warned him. "I've already told you what would happen if you did." 

Ron stuck his tongue out at him, looking more like seven than seventeen. "How can I? We're as meant to be as you and Draco!" He paused for a moment and shook his head. "I never thought _I'd_ say that!" 

"Part of me wishes that I didn't need some time alone," Hermione murmured, glancing over to see where Draco was chatting with his parents animatedly. "He asked me to marry him, you know." She glanced instinctively back at them, and saw various Weasleys looking quite surprised. "I hear that Ron blabbed about my current condition?" She waited until they nodded. "That's part of it. The other is that we genuinely care for each other." 

Molly Weasley nodded in approval. "Good. I'd have something to say to him if he didn't." Hermione didn't doubt that, either. 

"If he asks again, I have a good feeling that I'm going to accept." Hermione decided. Molly turned to look at the Malfoys, then back at her. 

"I think he will ask again." She frowned a bit, leaning in closer towards Hermione. "You look as if you need some rest, actually." 

Hermione just shrugged, trying not to look towards the Malfoys again. She wasn't entirely certain if her resolve could stand up to seeing Draco too much at the moment. _I guess I really **do** love him. Who would have imagined that._ Certainly not her, even a year earlier. 

"Everyone, I am afraid it is time to say farewell to your children." Dumbledore's enhanced voice was heard all over the ballroom. "We are glad for your visit, the first of such to Hogwarts for some of you of the Muggle persuasion, and we hope this is just the beginning to a long and glorious future between us all!" 

Cheers and applause rose from various parts of the ballroom, Hermione joining in. She heard Petunia asking Harry to keep in touch more, and making him promise to spend more time at home that summer, and was not that surprised when he agreed. _She's not really going to be a nice person ever, I think, but she's **nicer**. Kind of like Draco in a way. He'll always be a jerk, but sometimes he can be a nice jerk. I guess losing Vernon made her think a little more about things._ That was always to the good. 

She inched a little closer to where the Weasleys and her own parents were making their farewells and held her hand out to Petunia. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Dursley. We're still all sorry for your loss." 

The thin woman flicked her light black dress a little and sniffed. "I'm certain you are." She said nothing else as she started away briskly, her features resuming some of the thin and pinched look they'd had those few times Hermione had caught a glimpse of her at King's Cross Station. _I wonder if she does that just so she won't get hurt._ That was something to think about. 

"Well, then we'll be on our way," Arthur Weasley started to hurry his brood away just as he had when they were still children instead of mostly semi-responsible adults and near-adults. Hermione wouldn't have been that surprised if it was because the Malfoys were coming over to them just then as well. 

"Farewell." Lucius' eyes followed Arthur briefly, then looked back at Hermione. "And remember what I told you." 

Hermione nodded; it was unlikely she'd ever forget it. "It was nice to see you both again." She hugged Narcissa gently, feeling the other witch's arms around her warmly in return. "And thank you." 

As the adults filed out of the castle and down to the carriages waiting to take them away, Hermione felt a very familiar squirming in her stomach and darted out to the nearest lavatory. Sam shook her head as she went. 

"Morning sickness striking a little early." The American witch looked just a little amused at the condition, if not also a little concerned. 

Ron shoved himself away from the wall he'd been leaning on. "Well, we have N.E.W.T.s tomorrow so we should get to bed." Groans rose from every person there who was going to take them the next day, with Ginny looking a trifle smug at still having another year to go before then. 

Sam glowered at her boyfriend irritably. "You sounded just like Mi!" 

"Why do you call her 'Mi'?" Draco wondered, voicing something that had been on his mind for a while. Sam glanced over at him, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Part of her had been wondering who was going to be the first one to ask her that. 

"When we were little, I couldn't pronounce Hermione, so I called her 'Mi'." Sam explained. "Now, good luck tomorrow!" 

Ron grinned a little, preening at that. "Thanks!" 

"I was wishing that to Draco." 

Draco snickered softly in amusement. "I don't need luck." He'd been studying with every spare moment he had; he had _talent_ and that was all he needed. Sam just grinned at him, though. 

"If you're going to beat out Hermione for the first time, you'll need it," she reminded him. Draco ignored her, instead looking over at Hermione herself as she came back in. 

"Are you feeling better?" He asked, starting over towards her. She nodded a trifle curtly, then looked over at the others. 

"I'm going to get some rest. You should do the same thing. Those N.E.W.T.s won't be easy." All of them could recognize the light of anticipation in her eyes from the thought of taking their final trials at Hogwarts. This was what she'd been aiming towards ever since she'd first heard of them, and she obviously planned on getting full marks.

* * *

Hermione changed into her nightclothes, rubbing Crookshanks' head as he purred softly at her. He seemed to know something big was in the works, or so she assumed from the way he kept hovering around her. He'd done that before her O.W.L.s too, and she'd done _so_ well on those. _Maybe he's good luck._ That would be good. The N.E.W.T.s had been over with for almost two weeks, though they wouldn't get the results for a while yet, the school year itself was a very short time from being over, and the dreams hadn't really ceased in all that time. She turned towards the window, wanting to make sure it was open to let in a breeze... 

And then she jumped a good foot in the air as she realized there was someone out there! Her hand on her rapidly thumping heart, fully aware of how silly that looked, she glared so nastily that she seemed to be the living definition of 'if looks could kill'. "Don't _scare_ me like that!" 

"My apologies," Draco told her with a cocky grin. She wished she had her wand; there were several interesting hexes she knew and could gladly put on him right now. She stalked over to the window, the long tee-shirt she was wearing as a nightgown flapping about her ankles, and practically melted as he smiled at her. "You look beautiful. How are you feeling?" 

"Good. Better." Hermione peered out the window, not at all surprised to see him seated on his broomstick. It was the easiest way he could talk to her and not be seen. "What about you?" 

He shrugged. "As well as can be expected." 

"Still having the dreams?" 

The blond teen looked away slightly, then looked back, his cocky gray eyes full of that irritating Malfoy arrogance. "Yeah. But I can live with it. They're just _dreams_, you know." 

Hermione nodded a little. "The Headmaster said that he was close to breaking the curse. There was some kind of subsidiary spell involved, but it was in technical details." Draco shuddered at the thought of technical details _Hermione_ couldn't understand. "He should be able to break it. Getting over it just can't be done. That kind of thing could take _years_, if ever. I won't let anyone have to see that over and over if there's a way around it." She trembled lightly, and he could tell that she wasn't holding up as much as she wanted everyone to think. 

Draco motioned her closer to the window and hugged her gently. "I love you, Hermione. I know we're officially still 'apart' but I love you anyway." 

"I'm a wreck," she whispered softly. "I'm scared of those dreams, Draco. I _know_ they're just dreams, but I can't help myself." He couldn't remember hearing her so disgusted about anything, much less herself. Part of her charm was her acerbic, stubborn, amazingly annoying nature, and the dreams were wearing on that part of her. 

Draco held her to him quietly, murmuring in her ear, "If you're a wreck, we'll work to make sure you're _not_ one." 

"Get the dreams to stop. That's all I need." Hermione told him, stepping back a little against her will. "I should get some rest, if I can. I hope you sleep well. And don't dream." 

Draco smiled mischievously at her. "I hope you do dream: about me." She smiled back at him, feeling just a little bit better with the good wish. 

"I hope so. Good night." She started towards the small nightstand by the bed, picking up the new dosage of the potion bottle that had been delivered earlier, and started to uncork it. Before she'd gotten it more than a little open, the sharp crack of a familiar whip zipped through the air. _What the..._

Memory flooded her every sense, her room fading away to be replaced by the stone cold walls of a sickeningly familiar prison.

* * *

Draco carefully backed away from the window, keeping an eye on his surroundings as he did. He was about to begin to spiral down to the ground when he heard something crashing inside of Hermione's room and whirled back around. 

Hermione lay on her bedroom floor, eyes glazed and unseeing, the potion bottle shattered just a few inches from her hand. Draco didn't bother thinking; he simply flew closer to the window, scrambled through it as quickly as he could, and was over by her in seconds. "Hermione! Hermione!" 

Try as he might, though, she didn't so much as twitch. She was still breathing, and a quick check assured him that her heart was beating, but other than that, she might as well have been dead. He gathered her up in his arms; this was more than he could deal with. 

The trip to the Hospital Wing was virtually engrained into his feet by now, and Madam Pomfrey came hustling out as soon as he opened the door. These days, the only people likely to come wandering in here at this hour were one of the two of them. "We were talking, and she was about to go to bed when she collapsed." That was the quick and dirty version of what had happened; Pomfrey didn't need to know that he'd been hovering outside her window in direct defiance of the usual school rules. He'd just been lucky no one had seen him dashing through the halls with her in his arms. 

"The dreams must be too much for her," Pomfrey decided, pulling out potions from her store. "I thought she looked a little peaked." 

"How can they be too much when they haven't been going on _that_ long?" Draco wondered. "I've been having them as long as she has and it hasn't been that bad for me." 

The mediwitch shot him an amused look. "You're also not carrying a child that could kill you, and she _is_ the focus of the spell. You're just feeling side effects." She carefully administered the potion to Hermione and leaned back. "There's not much that can be done for her right now. Go to bed, Mr. Malfoy." 

Draco shot a look right back at her. "I'm not leaving here until she wakes up." He sat down firmly in the chair beside her. "This is _my_ girlfriend and she's carrying _my_ child, and I'm not leaving." 

Pomfrey shook her head; seventh years were always the most difficult to deal with. "If you really want it that way." Once he fell asleep, it would be easy to get him back to where he belonged. For now, she just had to keep an eye on her patient.

* * *

_Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs, pain wracking her body. **I'm not going to stay alive! I can feel it!** She gasped for breath the best she could, trying with all her might to escape from this dream. She **knew** that was what it was, but that did nothing to stop her from feeling all the pain as the dream-image of her tormentor unleashed his wrath on her once again._

"Hermione." 

_She looked up and around, trying to figure out where the voice had come from. It had been Draco, she knew his voice anywhere, but he wasn't **there**. She didn't want him to be, but just hearing him was something._

"Hermione, you're dreaming." 

_That had to be Draco, no doubt about it. No one else would say something that inane. Except maybe Ron. "I can't wake up!" The scream would've quite possibly shattered her lungs if she'd actually been awake to scream it._

"You can beat this, 'mione, I know you can." 

_Hermione rolled her eyes; optimism was all well and good but when you were getting the crap beaten out of you, something a little more was due! Something deep inside swore to her that if they didn't figure out a way out, she was worse off than dead._

Draco wasn't finished, though, it seemed. "You're dreaming. It's _your_ mind there, you can make the rules, and only you. You're a witch, the best witch I've ever known. You can beat this." 

_His voice was so full of compassion and confidence that she began to wonder if that really **was** Draco, or just some twisted imagery in her own mind. He'd never sounded like that before. _

The dream-version of the whip and her captor's boots slammed into her just as harshly as they had when it happened the first time around, if not more so. Hermione squirmed, bucked, and fought, doing all she could to get away, but to no avail. She didn't think she was tied down, but no matter which way she turned, he was always there, hurting her. 

"You've faced worse than this! This is only a memory!" Draco reminded her. "We got out of it then, you can do it now." 

_She managed to get barely onto her knees, but before she could rise any farther, a powerful foot slammed into her ribs, sending her rolling into the hard wall. **It didn't happen like this...it wasn't like this at all...**_

Draco's next words seemed to indicate he could hear her, if it wasn't a coincidence. "You know what really happened. You told me about those Muggles who can 'lucid dream' and take control of it. You're a witch, you _certainly_ can do it!" His voice took a slightly nastier tone. "Or are you really just a stupid Mudblood?" 

_There was no doubt about it. That was Draco. When the chips were down, he didn't just encourage her, he insulted her. The desire to smack him into the nearest wall sent a surge of strength through her briefly, just enough to get her starting to her feet once more. She swayed a little, her legs wobbly and unsteady as if she were a colt who hadn't figured out how to walk yet, but she kept on. She wasn't going to give up._

"You're not going to let them beat you, are you?" What was Ron doing there? Were the others there too? That must make one interesting picture. It was something she had to see. "We've had worse than this, Hermione! Remember Fluffy? And Norbert? You helped us figure out what the basilisk was doing, and..." He continued to rattle on about the adventures they'd shared in seven years. "You aren't going to quit now, Hermione! We haven't done enough together! You still haven't freed the house-elves, remember?" 

"Fight it, Hermione!" Ginny joined in. "You've always been there when I needed someone to talk to, and that's not going to stop now! Remember when the Dementors showed up on the Hogwarts Express in my second year? You were the one who kept me going then. You talked to me about what happened with the diary all that year, and you kept me from losing it whenever I got too near one of those things." Her voice was just a little shaky in memory, but she didn't falter. "You can't give up! You _won't_ give up!" 

"They call me a hero, Hermione, but I wouldn't be anything without all of you." Harry's encouragement joined his girlfriend. "You always stuck by me, and you didn't let me give up on myself or anything else. We dealt with Voldemort together, and we'll deal with this with you!" 

_Hermione closed her eyes briefly, then opened them, looking at the monster facing her. For monster was what he was, no matter how human he looked. He just sneered at her. "Do you seriously think that you can hurt **me**? There's nothing you can do but die, little girl!" _

Answers were unnecessary. Only actions mattered right now. She glanced down to her hand, a memory of something she'd read once on lucid dreaming flicking through her mind. A long bladed knife appeared there, perfectly balanced, and she knew in the way of dreams she could use it in any way she needed to. 

"This is the end, little girl." The whipstock crunched into her cheek and she staggered back a little before regaining her balancing, the knife still ready in her hand. "Ready to die?" 

"You're right about something. This is the end, and I am ready," Hermione declared. "But I have too much to live for to die. I have my friends, I have my family, I have this child, and I have all the things I want to **do** in my life! And no one's going to take any of that away from me, least of all **you**!" 

With a quick flick of her hand the knife flew straight and true into the man's chest, the blade penetrating deep inside of him. It stood as if it were a splinter of some kind, no blood at all leaking out, further proof he wasn't even remotely human. Hermione mustered all her strength, channelling all of her power and magic into one shout. **Get out of my head!!** Satisfaction filled her as he slowly faded away, the knife clattering to the ground once he existed no longer, then all of her strength faded away. 

She collapsed bonelessly to the floor, the dream-version of her prison fading around her into something else altogether, something much sweeter and softer, a memory of herself and Draco, in his room, so very close to each other... 

Draco watched as Hermione stiffened suddenly, then relaxed, a smile touching her lips. He grabbed for her wrist, searching for her pulse quickly. Had she died? He couldn't find the pulse, where was it? 

"Relax, Mr. Malfoy." He looked up to see Dumbledore standing there. "She's just asleep. It's over and the spell is broken." He smiled gently at them all, one of the most unlikely groups ever gather in Hogwarts: Draco, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Sam. "Congratulations, all of you." 

**To Be Continued**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-four  
****by: Cynthia and Emerald J**

Hermione toyed with her fork a little, watching the light glint off of it as Ron's chatter about his upcoming first game with the Chudley Cannons was going to go. _Last meal at Hogwarts._ Her thoughts ran back to the first time she'd been here, alone and virtually friendless, scared and not wanting to let anyone know about it, and so very _eager_ to know what was going on all around her.

Things had changed so much it was impossible to really put a name to them all. Now the Slytherin she had thought was the most horrible person to have ever lived was her boyfriend, and father of the child growing inside of her.

She glanced over to the Slytherin table, smiling a bit as she saw Draco talking animatedly with Blaise Zabini. _Peeves let the whole school know what was going on with us. That was __**embarrassing**_. She tried not to think too much about it, though. School was over and done with.

"Hermione?" She nibbled a little more, not paying attention to whoever it was that was calling her name until a hand whacked on her wrist. "Hermione! Didn't you hear me?"

"Huh?" It was Ron, and he looked a little annoyed. "No, I didn't. What was it?"

He shook his head, sighing deeply in annoyance. This wasn't the first time she'd been caught drifting off into space lately. "What are you going to be doing after school?"

"I'm going to be Keeper for the Harpies," Hermione grinned, touching the letter from their current Captain in the pocket of her robes. "After the baby is born, of course. So the Cannons had better watch out."

Ron blinked twice, then grinned. "Cool! See you on the Quidditch pitch, then!"

"If what Malfoy says is true, the Harpies are going to be a hard team to beat. Hermione's a natural who could give Oliver a run for his money!" Harry joined in, shooting a rather annoyed look at her for not showing her prowess during his reign as captain.

"We'll see about _that_!" Ron wasn't going to back down. He'd supported the Cannons all his life, and he was bound and determined to see to it they finally won again.

Hermione snickered softly. "We'll see. When you guys keep losing to us."

The argument stalled out as Dumbledore cleared his throat and rose to his feet. "Another year is over, and now it is time to announce the winner of this year's House Cup. As it happens, this is the closest score we have had since my tenure as Headmaster." His gaze took in the entire Great Hall and the students waiting to find out who had won. "There is no fourth place this year. For third, Hufflepuff House, with four hundred and _ninety-_points."

Polite applause filled the air, as the Hufflepuffs grinned and waved. They hadn't been expecting to win. Dumbledore continued once the din died down. "With five hundred points, there is a tie between Gryffindor and Slytherin."

Noises that may well have been applause, or something else, shot between the two tables. Several of those in Gryffindor eyed Hermione, who sank back into her chair a little. _If I hadn't had those points taken off, we would have __**won**! And they all know it_! If Peeves hadn't already been dead, she would've killed him for spreading that around. She could already see the Slytherins giving Draco a very different look; something much more akin to pride for getting Gryffindor knocked down some.

A deathly hush fell over the hall; they all knew what was coming next, but it had to be said officially before any cheering could start. "And in first place, with five hundred and _one_ points...Ravenclaw!"

The cheers were absolutely deafening as a _different_ house finally won the coveted prize. Hermione clapped sharply for several minutes, until her stomach started churning and bouncing harshly. _Not again_. "Excuse me," she slipped out of the Great Hall and bolted as soon as she was past the door, heading for the bathroom. She hated being pregnant.

Ron watched her go, then shook his head, glaring over towards Draco, who glared right back at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Harry also shooting angry looks at the pale-haired Slytherin. This was probably their last chance to do something like this for a while.

"Behave, you two!" Sam snapped at them both. Ron didn't lift his glare by so much as a flicker of an eyelash. "Want me to go back to the U.S. instead of to your parents?" Now, that was just plain fighting dirty!

"Sorry." He looked away, Malfoy wasn't worth glaring at anyway, no matter how much Hermione liked him. Sam stamped down harshly on his foot and he stared over at her. "What was that for?"

"This is as much Hermione's fault as it is his, so don't take it all out on him!" Sam tried to sound like Hermione lecturing them, but Ron just couldn't bring himself to take her seriously at the moment, what with the pain in his foot.

Harry glanced from his friends to the Slytherin and back again. "I suppose." He didn't sound all that enthused about agreeing with her, though.

"No suppose about it. You'd better be glad that I don't make you two go apologize to him!" Sam threatened. Ron shook his head violently; that was going _too_ far, even for his girlfriend!

"He should apologize to us too! He was glaring just as much as we were! I think he thinks it's funny!" The redheaded wizard declared. "Sam, he's not a cheery friendly nice person, he's a complete ass! Even if he _is_ the ass Hermione loves!"

Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head, then shot a glare towards Draco. The Slytherin smirked back at her, not impressed at all by the heat in her gaze, or by her crossed eyes and stuck out tongue. He turned back to Blaise, the both of them sniggering softly at something or other. Sam was fairly convinced it was her, and Ron seemed to unknowingly agree, since he was snickering about something.

"What's so funny?" Hermione had squirmed her way back into the group. Ron shook his head, not wanting to answer, until she prodded him a little sharply. "Come on, tell me, _Ronald_!"

"Fine, fine!" He recounted what had just happened, and Hermione shook her head ruefully.

"Can't I leave any of you alone for ten seconds?" She caught Draco's eye, sending him an apologetic look and a gentle smile that she hadn't let him see in days. She knew, more than ever now, if he asked her to marry him again, she wouldn't turn him down this time.

The Hogwarts Express ran like a great scarlet snake through the countryside, the students inside in every kind of mood imaginable. The chatter ran high in virtually every compartment, including the one where Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Sam sat. At least the latter four were talking animatedly; Hermione stared silently out of the window. Whatever was going on in her mind, she was keeping it to herself.

Ron looked worriedly at his friend; this was so unlike Hermione that he was really getting worried. _She's been really quiet ever since the Ending Feast. I don't even think that she's talked to Malfoy. She's __**looked** at him, but she hasn't talked to him._ As far as everyone knew, no more dreams had tormented her or anyone else, and she'd been taking the potion Snape had provided faithfully, resulting in a minimum of health problems.

However, there was one little side effect that kept cropping up, and Ron winced as she darted past him to the nearby bathroom compartment. They could faintly hear the sound of whatever it was that could possibly be in her stomach surging back up violently.

"Ron, give it up," Sam advised her boyfriend. "Every time _anyone_ opens their mouth to her, she loses something else from lunch!"

"I noticed." The redhead sighed. "Believe me, I noticed." He glared at where Ginny was giggling at him from beside Harry, the older boy's arm around her comfortably. Little sisters could be such a pain.

"I can't believe I'm going to spend the weekend with you," Ginny piped up to her boyfriend. "I've been wanting to meet that cousin of yours." Mischief equal to that of the twins gleamed in her bright brown eyes.

Harry nodded a little, looking just as amused as she did. Petunia might have modified her attitude a little, but Dudley still had a long way to go. "I never expected _that_ to happen, I know."

"What?" Ron was feeling decidedly out of the loop. He was certain his mother would just say that this was part of growing up, but he didn't like it. These were his friends, why did they keep things from him?

Ginny lifted her head to look at him. "Didn't mom tell you? Harry's aunt invited me to stay for a weekend before Harry heads for Godric's Hollow." One of Harry's first projects now that they were out of school was to restore his family's old home and get it back in living order. No one doubted that there would be more Potters one day to fill it, either.

"Where's Hermione?" A familiar silver-topped head looked in, the rest of the body still out in the hallway. Draco glanced around the group, looking a bit displeased as he didn't see his girlfriend anywhere.

"Bathroom." Harry said. The antagonism between them all was probably never going to go away entirely, but it wasn't as harsh anymore.

"Again?" Draco had hardly spoken before Hermione was back, smiling a little at him. "Feeling queasy?" As soon as the words left his mouth, she turned around and headed right back to the bathroom, the same familiar sound reaching them.

Draco eyed the door warily as it reopened and she came out of there, looking somewhat ashamed of herself as she joined them. "Don't talk to her," Sam told her. "She'll just run back in there. It's been happening ever since we left Hogwarts."

Draco's eyes flicked from one cousin to another, one eyebrow elevated slightly in disbelief. "I see." He slid his arm around Hermione as she leaned closer to him, then tugged him out into the hallway. "Hermione?" He started to say something, then groaned audibly as she squirmed away from him, hand clapped to her mouth, and once more made the swift trek to the bathroom. Draco stared after her in disbelief. _This has reached the point of ridiculous. Perhaps I should send an owl to Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey about this._ One didn't have to be a mediwizard to know how wrong this was.

When she came back out, she motioned him into the cabin across the corridor from where the others were. "I think it's safe to talk to me now. I don't think there's anything left for me to bring up again." He nodded as they sat down together, arm around her once more. "I wonder if your dad or my mom saw that last dream. I don't know if they were asleep or anything then."

"My father did." Draco told her. "He sent me an owl about it."

Hermione nodded, the familiar confidant look in her eyes. "I could hear you, you know. All of you." Her eyes twinkled in amusement. "And I am not just a Mudblood."

"Are you so sure about that?" He grinned at her, his hand starting to inch back down to a pocket in his robes. "Hermione, I want to ask you..."

"Merlin..." Hermione groaned suddenly, turning green. "Not again!"

Draco couldn't believe his eyes. Was there _nothing_ that could be done? Thankfully, she wasn't in there very long, and came out with a rather rueful grin, hands folded over her stomach. "Hermione," he came closer to her, hand going back to the pocket, "I want to..._damn it_!"

Before he'd even finished the sentence, she had dived back into the bathroom. _No way. Not this time_. He stalked into the small lavatory and looked to where she was 'worshipping the porcelain god', or so it was referred to in some of the Muggle stories she'd told him. Hideous things, but he'd always had a penchant for horror and unbelieveablity. "Hermione?" She looked up at him, her hair pulled to one side to keep it out of the way, and he pulled the ringbox from his robes, holding it out to her. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Hermione smiled broadly, then laughed. "Can you imagine telling our child that their father proposed to their mother in the bathroom of the Hogwarts Express?"

Draco laughed himself as he helped her up, waiting for her to wash and straighten her robes before he slid the ring onto her finger. Both of them watched it glitter in the pale sunlight that slanted in through a window, flickering as they passed by trees and the occasional odd house. "I like how that looks." Hermione murmured. "I love it, Draco."

Once Hermione had freshened herself up via a quick wave of her wand and a couple of breath mints she'd been keeping on hand since this whole nausea mess had begun, she felt a lot better. Hand in hand, sne and Draco headed back to the cabin they'd been in before. This time, however, Crabbe and Goyle were there, surrounded by various piles of sweets. It appeared they were making the most of their final trip on the Express. Draco eyed the two of them, then looked at Hermione, making an obvious effort here. "I suppose we'll have to find somewhere else to be alone?"

"We'll go," Goyle got to his feet quickly, gathering up his share of the sweets. "There aren't any other open rooms." Those were the most words that Hermione could recall hearing from him at any given moment in her life. As the two of them passed by, she thought she saw Goyle's eyes on her engagement ring, and something that might well have been a faint hint of disappointment, but he was gone before anything could be said about it.

As the door was closed behind them, Hermione and Draco sat down, their hands still entwined about each other. Hermione leaned closer, kissing him deeply and warmly, her heart racing as he returned the kiss, his hands reaching up to entangle themselves in her hair. Her breath caught in her throat as the kiss grew stronger and stronger, then the door opened.

"We'll be at King's Cross Station in five minutes. Finish your kiss quickly and get ready." Sam grinned at them both knowingly, then stepped back and shut the door. Hermione glanced over at Draco and chuckled a bit, noting his pale pink blush.

"I like that." She touched his cheek gently. "This blush _and_ her idea. Too bad we don't have time for a 'quicky'." Her eyes gleamed brightly in amusement. "Maybe some other time?"

"Maybe." Draco kissed her gently. "But I think that's how we got into trouble the first time in the Astronemy Tower." He kissed her again, keeping her occupied until they pulled into the station. Once they were both straight and no evidence remained of anything they'd done, the two of them headed out.

Once they were through the gate, the first thing Hermione saw were her waiting parents. She ran over quickly to hug them, then pulled back, holding out her left hand in silent acknowledgement. Her mother nodded approvingly. "Congratulations."

"It's about time." Her father told her. "I hope you have some kind of plans made."

Hermione just shook her head; her parents were never going to change.

Not that far away, the Malfoys were having their own little reunion. "Hello, father, mother," Draco nodded politely at them. "I hope you've been well."

Lucius nodded back towards him. Warmer greetings could come when they were home; this was in public. "How are things with Miss Granger?"

Draco's lips curved a touch. "You mean the eventual Mrs. Malfoy?" His father looked slightly surprised, and something that _might_ have possibly been approval.

"She agreed?" Draco nodded slightly, and Lucius returned it. He motioned his son along, wanting out of the sight of the Muggles before they Apparated back to Malfoy Manor. Before they had taken many steps, Draco had caught Hermione's eye and they'd exchanged a nonverbal agreement to owl each other as soon as they could.

Hermione put the last of her things in her parents' car and curled up in the back seat, yawning a little. Her mother peered over at her from the front. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Short answers were the order of the day. Anything longer meant she'd have to think, and Hermione was very much not in the mood for that. She made a mental note to mark the day as soon as she could. After all, that sort of thing didn't happen very often.

"Do you really love him?" Her mother wanted to know. Hermione nodded slightly, yawning once more. "Good. That's going to be important, you know."

"I know. I miss him already, though." She yawned even more, fidgeting around as the car started moving. _Never have been able to sleep in a moving car._ "I know I'm going to see him again soon, but it's just not soon enough."

Emma chuckled a little. "What are you going to do now?" She'd always wondered just what her daughter would do once she was a fully trained witch, and now that the day had come, she confessed inwardly to a deep curiosity as to what wizards and witches _did_.

Hermione yawned again, closing her eyes. "Have the baby. Play Quidditch."

"Hopefully in that order."

"In that order," Hermione agreed sleepily. "But first, marriage." She yawned again, only half-hearing her mother's admonition to get some rest, and mumbled something that might've been 'when we get home'. It was hard for her to tell, since she was deeply asleep in only a few heartbeats.

**To Be Continued**


	25. Epilogue

**Epilogue  
****by: Cynthia and Emerald J**

Hermione twitched the white wedding gown carefully, and tried not to fidget too much as her mother adjusted her veil every bit as carefully. "I am so _nervous_!"

"I was the same way when I married your father," her mother told her with an amused smile. "You'll get over it. It's simply natural."

The witch nodded, fidgeting even more. "I know. But I can't help it." She shuddered, laying a hand on her slightly swollen stomach. "I hope I don't throw up." Her nausea had become less frequent over the weeks, but today was a special day.

"If you think you will, make sure you turn so you don't get it on him," Her mother advised, grinning. "That really doesn't go over that well on the wedding day."

Hermione refused to dignify _that_ with an answer, and instead turned her attention to her Maid of Honor. "You look beautiful, Ginny. Harry's going to be drooling when he sees you." She glanced down at her own gown nervously. "How do I look?"

Ginny eyed her friend up and down carefully. "Just perfect. I don't think anyone will really notice anything either." She motioned briefly to Hermione's midsection, and the brown-haired witch nodded. Not all of the guests understood about the pregnancy, or magic. That was the penalty of having a mostly Muggle family.

"Draco hasn't seen it yet, of course. I hope he likes." She glanced at the door, wondering how much more time was left until the actual ceremony. "Do you know who his best man is? He wouldn't tell me." Ginny shook her head, and Hermione groaned. "That's just what I _didn't_ want to hear."

The youngest Weasley smiled briefly, then stood up, checking the time herself. She had adapted to a few Muggle customs, at least for today, for Hermione's sake. "It's almost time." She adjusted her dress self-consciously; this was one of the few times she had worn anything other than common Muggle clothes in public. It did look magnificent on her, though.

Hermione carefully covered her face with her veil and waited for Ginny to be ready. Her parents had insisted on this being a traditional wedding, and the Malfoys had let it slide, though with extremely bad grace. _At least they're going to be here, though. Draco would never stop whining if they didn't._ "Where's dad?" She looked around, trying to find some glimpse of her father in the group of Muggles and witches all around her that were forming her bridal train. Lavender and Parvati were having some kind of conversation with a couple of her cousins, and it was hard to tell who was the more confused. There would have to be a visit by the Oblivators before this was over, she feared.

"Seeing to some things. He'll be here shortly," her mother reassured her. Hermione fidgeted again, staring around even more. This was the last day that she wanted to be stressing on, for a wide variety of reasons. "Don't worry, he'll be here to walk you down the aisle. He'd never miss that."

Hermione nodded, then grinned as she spied him coming towards them. "Ready?" He asked, resplendent in his tux. His daughter nodded and took his arm. "Then let's go."

Together they headed out, the bridal party preceding them. One by one the bridesmaids went down the aisle, then Ginny started her walk. Taking her arm as Draco's best man was..._Lucius Malfoy?_ Hermione could hardly believe her eyes. _What did Draco have to promise him to get him to do **that**?_

Now as the music swelled, it was her turn. She carefully walked, making certain not to move too fast to keep her nausea at bay. Most of the ceremony was a blur, but she clearly recalled the speeches that she and Draco made to each other before taking their vows.

"When I first saw her, I won't even repeat what I thought. It's not the right place or time, and it doesn't matter any more at any rate. What does matter is that I love you, Hermione, and I always will. This wasn't something I was thinking about when I first asked you to date me, but I'm glad it did."

"Neither one of us thought this was going to last when we first started, but we fell in love somehow. I'm not sure how, and I care even less. That's one mystery I'm not going to worry myself about. I wouldn't trade anything that we've been through for anything, because we went through it together, and that's what matters over everything else."

Then the vows were taken and they were kissing, and the priest's voice rose over everything. "May I be the first to introduce Draco and Hermione Malfoy." Hermione had made certain that she wasn't known just as "Mrs. Draco Malfoy". She was her own person, even now.

* * *

Hermione and Draco stood together, hand in hand, watching as their guests talked and moved around each other. No one was going to dance until the two of them started, but everyone was relaxing for the moment, letting the buildup of the day slowly leak out of them. There was a band, Muggle or magic Hermione couldn't tell at the moment, and she slowly turned to look at Draco as the music began to change. 

"Stormy Weather." She vividly recalled telling him that she'd thought he'd like it. That moment seemed so far away now, but he'd apparently remembered. He grinned down at her and kissed her softly.

"I thought you'd like that. Come on, let's dance." Still joined by the hand, they went out to the cleared circle of guests and began to dance. One by one others started to join them, Harry and Ginny, Ron and Sam, their respective parents, the Weasleys, others, until almost everyone was dancing with someone. As was traditional with dances like this, the two of them exchanged partners happily, going from person to person with reckless abandon, only to come back to each other sooner or later. It was while she was dancing with Draco once more that someone tapped his shoulder.

Draco stepped back a little to see who it was that wanted to dance with his wife, and wasn't that surprised to see his father standing there. Without another word he backed off and let Lucius spin her out onto the floor. His movements were slower and statelier than most of those she'd danced with, but it was swiftly obvious that was because he had something on his mind.

"How have your dreams been?" The question was low-voiced and clear, with a hint of curiosity in those pale eyes. Hermione shook her head.

"I haven't had any since the last one while we were in school. That was the end of it." He nodded ever so slightly, then described exactly what she had heard and felt in the dream. She'd known he had seen it too, but this was the first time that someone else had described something she had dreamed to her, and she hadn't told them of it first. She nodded once he was done. "That was the worst of them all." She hesitated for a moment, not certain just how to phrase what she was thinking. "At the end, I felt as if someone were helping me. Not with words like the others, but just with strength. Was that you?" Steel-gray eyes looked down at her, and then he nodded for a moment, saying nothing more. "Thank you."

They continued to dance, and Hermione asked something that had been on her mind as much as what he'd asked had been on his. "Do you approve of me and your son now?" She was hoping for a different answer than what he'd given in the garden, or at least a more in depth one.

What she got was a cool, "I don't disapprove." He refused to say anything more on the subject, instead asking, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"I am. I love your son very much, and he loves me, you know. We love this baby." She flinched suddenly. "Who has a very good kick already."

"It's a Malfoy trait." Lucius reminded her, stepping back as the song ended and Draco came from where he'd been charming Emma Granger to steal his bride back. They kissed deeply, arms going around each other in a warm hug.

"Can we go?" Hermione asked with a soft murmur. "I think I've had enough of this for a while. There's other things I want to do."

The two of them made their farewells and headed to the room that they'd reserved above all of this in the combined wizarding/Muggle hotel they were in. As the door closed behind them, Hermione pulled her wand from its hiding place and cast a combination locking spell and warding spell that would keep anyone from disturbing them. "Excellent work." Draco approved, doing the same for the various windows in the room. They weren't going to take any chances tonight.

Hermione reached up and started to undo the buttons that held her dress together, and as it fell to the floor, she stepped away from it and towards the bed, Draco seated beside her. She ran her hands down his still suited body, starting to work on the fastenings carefully, then winced briefly. "The baby is kicking, again." Draco laid a hand on her stomach and smiled a little as the child kicked harder. "Madam Pomfrey told me that I'll probably give birth at seven months."

"I hope it's healthy." Draco murmured, still feeling her stomach and watching to see if his hand jumped any more times.

"Thanks to Snape, and believe it or not...Neville, it will be." She could see the disbelief in his eyes at the thought of Neville having anything to do with this. "Madam Sprout didn't have time to help him, but Neville was the best in our class at Herbology, and helped with some of the rarer herbs."

Draco snorted softly "At least he did _something_ right."

"He helped to create something that saved our baby," Hermione murmured. She would never forget that. Neville had been the first wizarding friend she'd made, and she wanted to make certain he was happy.

"And saving your life." Draco added. Hermione shrugged briefly.

"The baby is more important." That was what _she_ thought at least. Draco said nothing against what she'd said, and she kissed him, knowing he hadn't disagreed because he didn't want an argument on their honeymoon. He kissed back gently, then both of them laughed as the baby kicked against his hand quite hardly. "I guess they want their daddy's attention!" Hermione laughed.

Draco just grinned, leaning in closer to her. "I believe you're right." He kissed her again and again, growing closer and closer, celebrating all their life and love together.

* * *

Several weeks later, Hermione prepared for her planned day of shopping at Diagon Alley. _I need to get a fresh batch of maternity robes, and get to my appointment at the mediwitch's, and stop in to restock a few things. Full day._ She glared down at her burgeoning stomach as it rippled with kicks. "Would you settle _down_" 

The infant inside paid absolutely no attention, kicking and punching even harder as she showered and dressed. The home they were in was courtesy of his parents, and came complete with every magical convenience possible, and then some. Hermione wasn't in the mood to object to any of them as she headed down the stairs to see Draco preparing to go to work. "Draco, are you going to be home for dinner?" That felt so nice to say, so very homey and sweet.

"I think I will be. I don't think anything's going to come up." He chuckled a little. "Of course that's why they call it _unexpected work_ in the first place." As she winced again, he frowned. "Are you all right?"

She nodded quickly. "The baby's just kicking a lot today, that's all. I have an appointment with the mediwitch that Madam Pomfrey recommended, so that should tell us something."

"Let me know if anything happens," he advised her. He'd gone with her every other time she'd went back to Hogwarts to get examined by Pomfrey, and he didn't like missing out this time. They kissed farewell lingeringly, then Hermione set off for Diagon Alley.

The first people she ran into there were the Weasleys, complete with Ron. He was still living at home for the moment, and had come there to help the twins out with their shop for a few days, or so his last owl-delivered message to her had said. "Hey, Hermione!" He waved at her as she came up, then frowned as she winced before returning the salute. "What's wrong?"

"Baby's kicking, that's all. I've got an appointment with a mediwitch, it shouldn't be a problem." She winced even more suddenly, a more powerful pain shooting all through her. "Uh-oh..."

Ron stepped closer, touching her shoulder. "Are you sure you're all right?" Hermione shook her head slowly, feeling something wet and terrifying since it shouldn't have been there in the first place.

"No, I'm not..." She could see Molly hurrying over to her. "My water just broke." This couldn't be happening, she was just five and a half months along! She still had six weeks to go! Why was this happening _now_?

"I'll call the mediwitch." Molly told her, turning towards Ron at the same time. "Go find Draco and bring him to the Leaky Cauldron. That's the closest place that has anywhere she can possibly give birth."

Ron might've been a freshly graduated and of age wizard, but when his mother said jump, like virtually every other Weasley he was six feet in the air before asking just how high it should be. He Apparated out of the alley and to Draco and Hermione's house, hoping his friend's husband hadn't left for work just yet. He started to pound on the door, hardly noticing when it was yanked open under his fist.

"Damn it, watch it, Weasel!" Draco snapped harshly. "What do you want?"

"Hermione's in labor! At the Leaky Cauldron!" Ron didn't waste any more time, just Apparated back, trusting that Draco would have sense enough to do the same thing. It became obvious once he had arrived that Malfoy had, since the silver-haired wizard was already charging up the stairs almost before Ron himself had fully arrived back.

Hermione's pain-filled screams were the first thing he heard as he banged the door open, and her eyes fastened on him at once. "Damn you, Draco Malfoy! This is all _your fault_!" He stood there stunned, unable to do anything but stare as Molly and the mediwitch delivered a small screaming bundle of something.

"It's a girl!" Molly declared as she started to clean the tiny wriggling thing off. Hermione screamed again, and the mediwitch turned back to her.

"I hope you two are ready for your _second_ child!" The trained Healer told them, starting to work on delivering the second of the unexpected twins. Hermione glared at her husband, eyes burning with the unholy fires of a witch experiencing pain.

"I am going to _get_ you for doing this to me!" Draco decided he was going to have a very long talk with the mediwitch for not using any of the pain relieving spells he had always thought were customary with this sort of thing. Hermione cursed and swore violently for several moments, then Draco's attention was pulled away as Molly handed him a small wrapped up bundle.

"Meet your daughter, Draco." The small woman told him, then returned to helping the other witch deliver the second one. Draco stared down at the baby, who had come into the world with a full head of silky blonde hair and the usual pale blue eyes that all babies had. She yawned, not appearing to be very impressed with her father looking back at her.

_She's definitely a Malfoy._ As the girl slipped into easy baby sleep, Hermione's scream pierced the air again, and Draco glanced at her worriedly. His concerns had no foundation, however, as a small healthy cry announced the arrival of their second child, a son with Hermione's hair. The Muggleborn witch closed her eyes, relaxing into the bed almost at once.

"She's exhausted." The mediwitch took care of everything that needed it, most of which Draco didn't understand, and cleaned everything up. "I hate that it hurt so much, but the usual pain-nulling spells wouldn't have had much of an effect on a veela-tainted birth. Veela have very odd reactions to our magic at times, and I didn't have time to work on something that would have helped, the way I thought I would. But everything should be all right. Would you like to hold your son?"

Draco nodded, handing the baby girl over to Molly so he could take the newest Malfoy heir in his arms. Just like his sister, the newborn didn't seem that impressed by his father, or by his grandfather as Lucius appeared in the doorway and peered over his son's shoulder.

"He looks like your grandfather," The elder Malfoy told him, going over to pick up the girl as she started to wail and cry in the cradle Molly had conjured up and placed her in. The Weasley wife was about to pick the little girl up when Lucius waved her to the side casually. "I'll deal with this." He rocked the newborn back and forth carefully, calming her cries very easily.

A second set of wails proved that her brother had a healthy set of lungs, and Lucius noticed that Draco looked completely lost on what to do. "Try walking like I was just doing," he advised his son. "Rock him slightly. That usually calmed you down." Soon quiet reigned once more, and Draco looked a lot less likely to fly apart at the seams.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Narcissa asked as she joined them in the room. "We had you named before you'd ever been born, you know."

Draco nodded; that had been part of the story of his birth for as far back as he could remember. "We were only expecting one, though, so we haven't really thought much about them. We'd decided on Jazmyne for a girl." He explained the unusual spelling, and Narcissa shook her head.

"It's a good thing they're being raised in the wizarding world. Muggles would make quite a bit of fun of her."

Her son snorted. "Not for long. She also has a middle name." He looked down at his daughter. "Jazmyne Maria Malfoy."

"Maria?" Lucius sniffed slightly. "I believe that would be from _her_ side of the family?"

Draco nodded, wincing a bit. It wasn't his kind of name, but Hermione had been quite insistent about that. "It's Hermione's mother's middle name. She insisted on it." The things she'd done to make certain he'd agreed had been interesting, to put it one way.

Narcissa glanced briefly at her husband, then back at her son. "Why don't you use her father's and your father's middle names for your son's? Fair to both sides of the family that way."

"I like that idea, mother." Draco glanced at Lucius in amusement. This would answer something he had wondered about for years. "Just what _is_ your middle name, father?" Lucius just shook his head, murderous looks smouldering out towards Narcissa for this. "Father!"

"James." Lucius muttered at last. Draco could understand why he didn't want it known; no respectable follower of Lord Voldemort would want to have the same name as James Potter, after all.

Narcissa chuckled in amusement. "Now, what's her father's middle name?"

"I haven't asked." Draco shrugged slightly. "I can ask her when she wakes up, though. He won't suffer for not having a proper name until then." His parents both nodded, then headed out of the room, letting them both rest for a while. Draco sagged down into a convenient chair, keeping an eye on his offspring and his wife, hardly able to grasp that it was all over. Somewhere during the time he'd been talking to his parents, Molly Weasley and the mediwitch had left, and he was grateful for the quiet time.

_It's not even been two years yet since I really **met** her._ He didn't really want to think of that time before the Christmas of their seventh year as having met her. They hadn't known each other beyond a few snipes and snarks.

When the door swung open, and Arthur and Molly came in, the only thing Draco actually saw was the food and drink that Arthur was carrying. He didn't care if it had been _made_ by Muggles at this point; he hadn't done much more than watch, but Draco was feeling ravenous just now.

"Thank you." He grudgingly remembered his manners as he started to eat once the tray was put down, then motioned towards the sack that Molly was carrying. "What's that?"

The elder witch glanced from Hermione to him and back again. "I remember how I felt after I had Fred and George. Hermione is going to be uncomfortable for a while. The things in here will help her recover faster, and make her feel better." She eyed the young witch worriedly. "She's so pale. This took so much out of her."

She got to work making Hermione as comfortable as she could, and a few minutes later, Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "Are they all right?" Draco could hardly believe that was the only thing that was on her mind, but it was so like her.

"They're fine. Just fine. Hermione...what's your father's middle name?" Might as well get this dealt with, after all.

"Alexander. Why?" Hermione smiled as Draco explained what his mother wanted to do, and nodded. "Alexander James Malfoy and Jazmyne Maria Malfoy." She curled up against her pillow a little and smiled at him. "Hold me, Draco?"

There was no way he could deny that, so soon the two of them were spooned up together, arms around each other, and drifting into deep and restful sleep. The Weasleys left the little family to be alone, remembering when their own children had been born, and wondering just what future lay ahead of them all. If it was anything like their past, it was going to be impressive.

* * *

Hermione Malfoy sat between Harry and Draco at the head table at Hogwarts, watching the line of first years coming up the aisle between the tables. _Arithmancy teaching for a year. Who would have thought it?_ She still couldn't quite get used to this, even after spending most of the summer researching and preparing her lesson plans. Harry looked quite comfortable beside her, but this _was_ his third year teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, after all. He'd broken the string of replacements they'd lived through for seven years, and looked as if he'd keep on in the job for quite a while. Draco himself looked _almost_ as nervous as she felt but he had slightly more reason. Going from his family's business into teaching was a large step, and one she wondered if he was quite ready to make. Time would tell, she presumed. He was still learning the ways of teaching, but since he'd taken several lessons on how to teach from Snape, he'd probably wind up just as terrifying to the new ones as his mentor was. And he'd like it, too. With Snape as the Potions Master and Draco teaching Transfiguration, nochild would escape their stern methods. 

Deputy Headmaster Severus Snape called out the names of the new students, hurrying them along to be Sorted. Two of them in particular caught Hermione's eye, but she avoided giving them any particular attention. They were going to have to make their own way here.

"Malfoy, Jazmyne!" Snape snapped, and the eleven year old hurried up to take her seat on the stool, the Sorting Hat sinking down over her head. Hermione would have given a great deal to be able to hear what was going on under there. _Gryffindor or Slytherin? Which one is it going to be? Draco'll gloat all year if it's Slytherin._ She gripped her goblet a little tighter, wondering what was going on. _At least I'm not alone in this. Harry'll probably be freaking out when his son is doing this in two years._

At last the Sorting Hat's mouth opened up, and a single word was shouted out. "RAVENCLAW!"

Hermione laughed out loud as her daughter pulled off the Hat and plunked it down on the stool, running to the table where her new housemates were cheering and laughing in joy. She stole a look at Draco and snickered softly to herself. _If Alexander gets into Ravenclaw too, I think I'm going to hurt something laughing._ The look on her husband's face was simply and utterly priceless.

"Malfoy, Alexander!" Snape motioned to the next one in line, and the young boy hurried along to take his sister's place on the stool. Draco watched nervously, holding onto his goblet and deliberately not looking at his wife. Once again silence fell as the Hat and Alexander had their moment together. Then the rip opened once more, and again a single word shout out.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table of the blue and bronze cheered massively as the second twin joined them, and Draco groaned, just barely visible to the students. "How in the world do I break this to my father? A thousand years of tradition...gone!"

"It's easy, Draco." Hermione teased him. "They've just got a little of their muggleborn mother in them. The Hat wanted to put _me_ in Ravenclaw, after all." She snickered at the look on his face and sipped her pumpkin juice lightly. "Oh, I was offered a new job after I leave here this year. I'm going to be the assistant to the head of the Arithmancy department at the Ministry of Magic. He's retiring in two years and he wants me to take over for him."

As they squeezed hands and hugged a little, their children kept an eye on them. "Jaz, they're doing it again." Alex muttered softly, getting a groan from his sister. He also got a _look_ from his mother that clearly said she'd heard that and they were going to discuss things later. He'd seen it a thousand times as he was growing up.

"How does she hear just about everything we say, but dad doesn't?" Jazmyne wondered. Her brother shook his head as he started to eat.

"I wish I knew. You know, granddad is going to freak when he finds out what House we're in. All those years of "Slytherin pride" and everything." Alex grinned to himself; he'd been looking for a reasonable excuse to redecorate his room anyway, and the blue and bronze would definitely drive Granddad out of his mind. He rolled his eyes in memory. "Slytherin is where every Malfoy has been for centuries!"

The Ravenclaw table cracked up at his mimicry. "You sounded just like him!" Jaz teased her twin. Alex glowered at her playfully.

"Don't insult me like that! _I'm_ a Ravenclaw!" He avoided looking at his mother, knowing another look was shooting his way. Jaz shook her head.

"We're going to have to watch it while Mom's here. I don't think she'd mind giving us a detention."

Alex winced at the very thought. "I know, I know." He didn't even want to think about what that might possibly include, either. Jaz sighed, digging into her food with enthusiasm at the same time.

"Why did this have to happen our first year? Why couldn't it have been...next year or something?"

Her brother shrugged. "Bad luck?"

"Sounds good to me." The twins grinned at each other, then up at their parents, and got to work on their food, ready to start their first years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which had turned out many memorable students skilled in magic: just like their parents.

**The End**


End file.
